The Anaheim Ducks hope history is on their side after taking the series opener against the Winnipeg Jets, 4-2, on Thursday night. The two teams are at it again for Game 2 of their Western Conference quarterfinal on Sunday night at the Honda Center in Anaheim.
Corey Perry scored the go-ahead goal with 6:39 remaining in the third period on Thursday night. It was the second goal of the period for Perry, whose Pacific Division champion Ducks trailed Winnipeg 2-1 entering the final stanza.
When winning the first game of a playoff series in its history, Anaheim has won 10 of 11 series, with the only series loss coming in 2013 to the Red Wings.
Winnipeg, meanwhile, hasn't won a playoff game since 1996, though that version of the franchise is currently the Arizona Coyotes. The Jets, who returned to Winnipeg in 2011 after a dozen years as the Atlanta Thrashers, are 0-5 in playoff games in the current incarnation of the franchise.
The Ducks also won all three matchups with the Jets during the regular season, though Anaheim head coach Bruce Bodreau knows his team has a tough task ahead of it.
"I thought it was a really hard game from the drop of the puck to the last second," Boudreau told NHL.com on Thursday. "We haven’t played in a game like that in a long time. There was a lot of hitting. I’m sure a lot of guys on both teams are feeling it tonight. That’s the beginning of potentially seven [games]. We know what we’re up against."
Welcome to the Stanley Cup playoffs.
NBC Sports Network will provide national coverage of Game 2 from Anaheim, with Dave Randorf, Garry Galley and Cassie Campbell-Pascall on the call.
Game 2 coverage
10:30 p.m. ET | Game 2, Western Conference Round 1
Honda Center | Anaheim, Calif.
Local: Prime Ticket | Nat'l: NBCSN
Live stream at NBC Live Extra
More coverage: Jets blog | Ducks blog