ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Ducks haven't been known as a power play team all season but the inconsistencies in special teams play has been magnified after Game 1.
After letting the Kings' Alec Martinez score on the power play, the Ducks did nothing in their four opportunities with a man-advantage. The team's 23.3 percent conversion rate is good but not great. On Sunday, Nick Bonino described Anaheim's power play game as "Jekyll and Hyde" and in order to get an edge in tight games like the one they played Saturday, the power play needs to improve.
"We know what our job is as a power play and if we get four or five opportunities we want to be able to put one or two in," said Ducks' defenseman Cam Fowler after Monday's morning skate. "It's something that we have to continue working on."
The Los Angeles penalty kill unit is one of the best in the league at the moment. Since the start of the postseason, the Kings have killed off nearly 90 percent of all penalties and their 88.9 percent mark is the third-best of the playoff teams.
.@AnaheimDucks ready to respond after series-opening loss vs. @LAKings: http://t.co/IuW3iDhsJX @AbbeyMastracco
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"Against a really aggressive kill like that, if you make one or two or three passes really quick you might be able to catch somebody out of position," Fowler said. "It looked like we were on the cusp of doing that in game 1 but we were slower to recover and Quick made some good saves, obviously."
Ducks' captain Ryan Getzlaf said the power play unit may have been too focused on puck movement instead of looking for shots.
"We've got to generate some opportunities," Getzlaf said. "We moved the puck around well but we didn't' really generate a whole lot. I think that starts with getting some shots through. Against a team that's not easy to get them to the net -- their D do a good job of blocking shots -- we've just got to get that mindset that we're going to take it the net a little bit more."
But for the Kings, it's exactly how they drew it up: Don't let shots get through and keep them away from the net.
"(We need to) not take too many penalties and not give them the opportunity," said Kings' forward Anze Kopitar. "Just take away lanes and be on the right side, be on the inside and not have them pass the puck through the box much."
Other morning skate notes
The NHL Players Association announced Getzlaf as a finalist for the Ted Lindsay award, Monday morning, along with the Penguins' Sidney Crosby and the Flyers' Claude Giroux. He's the second Duck to be named a finalist in the last four seasons, as Corey Perry was in the 2010-2011 season it's the third major award he's in the running for, MVP award included.
"Again it's a great honor for me, that one especially," Getzlaf said. "Especially when you're talking about your peers nominating me up for that award. Anytime you can be singled out amongst your peers, I think it's a good tip of your cap."
Jonas Hiller will be back in the net for Anaheim.
.@LAKings defense takes a hit with Robyn Regehr knocked out of Game 1 vs. @AnaheimDucks: http://t.co/Ws54gbA2TS @AbbeyMastracco
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"He played two good games against Dallas. He's been our No. 1 goalie all along so when he starts playing good, we went back to him for the last game," said Ducks' head coach Bruce Boudreau.
Kings' defenseman Jeff Schultz will get his first opportunity to face his former coach in Boudreau tonight. Schultz played for Boudreau in Washington and has been playing with the Kings' AHL affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs, all season.
"It was a lot of fun (playing for Bruce). He really helped me out and helped me become the player that I am today," Schultz said. "He really pushed me and helped me to get better each year."
