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Ducks eliminate Wild from playoffs
2007-04-20
The Anaheim Ducks eliminated the Minnesota Wild from the playoffs on Thursday with a 4-1 victory on home ice, wrapping up their best-of-seven series four games to one. The victory was the seventh in 11 post-season appearances for the Ducks and earned them a spot in the Western Conference semi-finals for the fourth time. Chris Pronger gave Anaheim a 1-0 lead 62 seconds into the contest before the Wild's Marian Gaborik scored shorthanded to tie the scores at 15:42 in the second period. But Ryan Getzlaf's powerplay goal less than a minute later put the Ducks back in front before Corey Perry and Travis Moen with an empty netter completed the 4-1 win in the third period. "We gave up a shorthanded goal and those can kill you," Getzlaf told reporters after the game. "But we bounced back the way we wanted to and it just exploded from there. We've got to tip our hat to the goaltender. He made a couple of big saves there and he did a great job." Anaheim goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere started for the first time in the playoffs, stopping 26 shots and keeping the Wild at bay on a 5-on-3 advantage in the second period. "We had traffic in front of (Giguere) and I shot it as hard as I could shoot it," Minnesota forward Brian Rolston told reporters. "I hit him in the shoulder once and hit him low and he sucked up the rebounds. We had guys all around him. But he kept the rebounds to himself. "You have to give him credit on that, but 5 on 3 in the playoffs, you've got to bury one of those." Tempers flared before the game even started as players exchanged shouts and shoves during warmups. Anaheim's Brad May was suspended for three games on Wednesday for punching the Wild's Kim Johnsson in Game Four. *Dany Heatley, Antoine Vermette and Chris Kelly scored second-period goals as the Ottawa Senators eliminated the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 3-0 home win. The Senators took the first-round series four games to one. *Brenden Morrow scored 6:22 into overtime and the Dallas Stars avoided elimination with a 1-0 road win over the Vancouver Canucks in their Western Conference playoff series. Dallas trail Vancouver 3-2 in the best-of-seven series. *Daymond Langkow scored twice as the Calgary Flames posted a 3-2 home win over the Detroit Red Wings to even their Western Conference series at two games each. (Writing by Gene Cherry in Raleigh)
Weary Stars vow to rise up against Red Wings (2008-05-06)Red Wings shut out Avalanche for sixth win in a row (2008-02-02)Ducks eliminate Wild from playoffs (2007-04-20)Avalanche surge toward playoff spot (2007-03-19)Stars still reign supreme in Pacific (2006-10-16)
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