Capsule for Stanley Cup finals:
ANAHEIM DUCKS (No. 2 Western Conference) vs. OTTAWA SENATORS (No. 4 Eastern Conference).
2006-07 Regular season records: Ducks (48-20-14); Senators (48-25-9).
2006-07 series record: First meeting.
All-time series record: Ducks 8-7-3 (2 wins in OT). Last meeting: Jan. 19, 2006, at Ottawa (Ducks 4-3, OT).
How they got here: Anaheim defeated No. 7 Minnesota 4-1; No. 3 Vancouver 4-1; and No. 1 Detroit 4-2. Ottawa defeated No. 5 Pittsburgh 4-1; No. 2 New Jersey 4-1; and No. 1 Buffalo 4-1.
Playoff History: First meeting.
or the first time. At 36, he is oldest player on either team – more than two years older than Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson. … Jean-Sebastien Giguere, the Conn Smythe Trophy winner in 2003, improved his playoff record to 27-12 with a 1.92 goals-against average and .932 save percentage. This time around he is 9-3 with a 1.87 GAA. He is 12-1 in postseason overtime, the best record among goalies with at least 10 decisions. He has stopped 101 of 102 shots in extra time. … D Chris Pronger is in the finals for the second straight year, after getting within a win of his first championship with Edmonton in 2006. He leads the Ducks in scoring with 14 points (3 goals, 11 assists) despite playing only 15 of Anaheim’s 16 games because of his suspension for Game 4 against Detroit. The Ducks erased a 2-1 deficit in that series by winning three straight. … Pronger’s defense partner, Scott Niedermayer, is the only Anaheim player to have his name on the Cup. He won his third title with New Jersey in 2003 against Anaheim and brother Rob.
ff wins this year. The native of Sweden is the first European captain to reach the Stanley Cup finals. … The city of Ottawa is seeking its first Cup title since the original Senators franchise won in 1927. … The top line of Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley, is the highest-scoring trio in the playoffs with 23 goals and 58 points. Heatley leads with 21 points, followed by Spezza with 20. Alfredsson is fourth with 17. … The start of the series could be tough on the Senators, following an eight-day layoff. They haven’t played outside of the Eastern time zone since March 4 (Chicago) and haven’t had a game in the Pacific time zone since a visit to Vancouver on Dec. 9, 2005. They were last in California for a three-game trip in October 2003. … Ray Emery has lost only once in each of the Senators’ three series and he has posted a shutout in all three rounds. He is 17-8 with a 2.31 goals-against average in 25 career playoff games. He is 12-3 with a 1.95 GAA while playing every minute in this year’s postseason. His backup, Martin Gerber, is the only Senators player with a Stanley Cup ring. He won last year with Carolina as the backup to Conn Smythe Trophy winner Cam Ward.
OUTLOOK: Ottawa shows Anaheim how East was won, and repeats the feat out West. Senators in 6.
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End Capsule
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