Looking for the weakest point in the chain, the Anaheim Ducks went after the Chicago Blackhawks defense. They found it, taking a 2-0 lead midway through Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs' Western Conference finals. Final score: Ducks 4, Blackhawks 1.
Beyond their top four, the Blackhawks had a problem. David Rundblad and Kimmo Timonen, trying to fill out the top six, were exposed.
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Still, counting the Blackhawks out would be a mistake. Brad Richards made it 2-1 with less than a minute to play in the second period.
The Ducks got their two-goal lead back in the third period, when Nate Thompson knocked in a rebound. An empty-net goal credited to Jakob Silfverberg made it 4-1.
Playing at their home pond, the Ducks got going early.
GOAL GIF: @HampeLindholm starts the game the right way. #LetsGoDucks pic.twitter.com/2AnAFv1Uj8
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) May 17, 2015They continued to put pressure on the Blackhawks, leading to this.
GOAL GIF: Beautiful goal, even better celebration. Palmieri makes it 2-0! #LetsGoDucks #ANAvsCHI pic.twitter.com/LEPfz7HJnq
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) May 17, 2015Rundblad, pressed into action after Michal Rozsival broke an ankle, was on the ice for both Ducks goals.
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This was the concern coming into this series w/ Rundblad, and this is why the top four will be playing a lot. #Blackhawks
— Tracey Myers (@TramyersCSN) May 17, 2015Blackhawks score. Brad Richards makes it 2-1 with 39.6 seconds left in the second period. #ANAvsCHI
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) May 17, 2015Not surprising: Keith has played 18:45 through 40 minutes. Surprising: Seabrook has played 18:04 Thought Hjalmarsson (13:38) would be 2nd
— Brian Hedger (@BrianHedger) May 17, 2015The good ole' steal and snipe. #ANAvsCHI #StanleyCup https://t.co/iQUzFlXrZh
— NHL (@NHL) May 17, 2015#AnaheimDucksGoooaaalll @NateThompson44 puts it home! Crawford leaves a juicy rebound on Cogliano's shot and the rest is history. 3-1!
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) May 17, 2015GOAL GIF: Nate is great! @NateThompson44 gets on the board. #LetsGoDucks pic.twitter.com/AfXuOkz9BM
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) May 17, 2015Frederik Andersen finished with 32 saves, many of them solid scoring opportunities. He dived out to get his stick on a puck headed for Patrick Kane, deflecting away that chance. He also came through with big saves as the Blackhawks tried to rally from a 3-1 deficit.
The Blackhawks' Corey Crawford had 23 saves.
Andersen, The Chicago Tribune wrote, was a wall. Particularly important in the game was he work in the third period when the Blackhawks got two power plays. Andersen and his teammates shut them down, killing their momentum.
Simon Despres and Ryan Kesler, guilty on the infractions, should thank their lucky stars for Andersen's play.
The Orange County Register said Andersen "came up with a definitive answer for Game 1." It pointed to the save he made on Kane, denying a goal that would have swung the game to the Blackhawks.
Frederik Andersen got us like 😵 #ANAvsCHI #StanleyCup https://t.co/uFRhp9ioo5
— NHL (@NHL) May 17, 2015Game 2 will be at 9 p.m. ET in Anaheim. TV: NBC Sports Network, CBC, TVA Sports.