Game 2 in Anaheim, start approx 2100h Eastern.
Edmonton's lineup is (literally) decimated by the flu. Jason Smith has it and is playing, Marc-Andre Bergeron has it and isn't (so Dick Tarnstrom draws in). Looks like Toby Peterson is drawing in as 4th line LW, and Harvey stays in on the top line. Ah, looks like it's Torres's spot that Peterson's taken. Looks like the Ducks put Perry in, I don't think he played G1 - not sure who they took out or why. I'm not sure why MacT went with Peterson, you know Schremp's just itching for a chance to hammer Perry, but I suppose in the playoffs as always MacTavish will try to go with vets, and Edmonton hasn't really needed scoring this year.
Right off the bat, Smyth took the puck off Scott Niedermayer's stick, but the play's been pretty lackadaisical. ... up until about 4 minutes in, when MacDonald and Kunitz went in, and Roloson robbed Kunitz. Hard-luck Staios almost put the puck into his own net off his skate at about 13m left, Roloson had to be sharp.
The Oilers came out of their own end after Pronger used Perry's momentum to throw him against the boards, and Moreau had a good scoring chance. Faceoff, Ducks came right back and mobbed the net, and Staios is taking a penalty for delay of game - doesn't look like he really meant to do it, but that's that.
Smith buried some poor Duck at the blue line as he was trying to bring the puck in, then the Ducks were forced back, then they buzzed around but didn't get much done til Beauchemin had a good shot and Roloson ensured no rebound. Shortly after *that*, Corey Perry tried to cut through the crease and took a golie interference call - looks like Roloson deliberately skated in front of him, but he was in the crease and bumped the goalie, so that's that too.
Short Edmonton PP - the Ducks are being very aggressive on the points, two of them up there. Hemsky walked around half the Ducks to get to the net on a near goal the Ducks started running around, and Pronger smoked one by the goalie for another special teams goal.
The very next sequence, Chris Kunitz highsticked Staios (?) after being checked, and Edmonton went right back on the PP. Anaheim was playing up high again, which let the Oilers make some cross-ice passes. Ales Hemsky tripped a Duck as they went in on a shorthanded 2-2. Roloson had to look sharp as Smith deflected a Ducks shot on their own short PP, then Jason Smith used a Duck to knock the net off (hopefully Staios was paying attention).
Even after the power play expired, the Ducks were all over the Oilers (2:30 left), good pressure but no shots. Ducks iced it, faceoff and the puck went into Edmonton's end with about 15 seconds left. Spacek tried to give the puck up in the slot, but made a nice play to recover. Selanne and Pronger went into the corner, nothing came of it despite their apparent dislike for one another.
MacT may have switched the lines up, broken up Samsonov and Hemsky - pretty sure Sammy was playing LW with Peca and Pisani just now, start of the second period. Lupul took a stupid high sticking penalty on Pronger, and Edmonton goes on the power play. First half of the PP Edmonton hasn't done much besides pass the puck to the wrong team. They didn't do much with the second half either.
Some extended Ducks pressure led to their first goal - Perry had the puck in deep for a long time, then Rob Niedermayer sent it out front past Smith and Jeff Friesen put it home. (Off topic, but Friesen's a guy I've always thought would look good as an Oiler.) 1-1. Edmonton sent out Peca + Samsonov, Anaheim sent out Kunitz + Selanne, and great chances at both ends.
Peterson had a decent chance in a 1 on 1, then Staios took an interference penalty shortly after (about 8m left). Anaheim did very little with the power play, but kept the pressure up afterwards and wound up with a chance and Roloson had to move fast to smother it. The Ducks kept the pressure up after that too, and wound up with a decent chance - Smith broke his stick again, are they made from Nerf or something?
Peterson's looking pretty good this period; he had a good chance, the puck came back, and it looked like somebody - an Oiler - almost banked it in off Eoloson's back. The puck went into Anaheim's end with Peca and Hemsky, there was some scrumming, then Samsonov got the puck and gave it to Pisani, who wristed it high stickside through a screen- 2-1 Edmonton. Pisani's 8th goal - who would have predicted he'd have 8 in his 14th playoff game - besides Lowetide, anyway.
Less than a minute left in the 2nd, Peca and Pisani went in on a similar play and Bryzgalov made a great save. Stoll made a nice diving stick deflection with about 20 seconds left, saved a good scoring chance at the very least, if not a goal.
A minute in, Roloson had a miscue with his defenceman and put the puck right on the stick of one of the Ducks. Two minutes in, Kunitz got sent in alone and Roloson made a beauty save on him. About 3 minutes in, Roloson tried to pokecheck Selanne as he came out from behind the net, looked like he was favouring something afterwards - tweaked his neck maybe. He took a penalty on the play too, Anaheim had a couple of good shots almost right off, but didn't do much after.
About 5 minutes in, the Oilers fell apart a bit and Harvey made a very good play - he could have just hammered it out and iced it, but he waited a split-second and saw that he could just flip it out and so he did. Anaheim's doing a good job again of keeping the pressure on the Oilers, but they just can't seem to get many quality chances, and when they do either Roloson is there or the defence collapses very well and takes away the rebounds. Smyth took a holding penalty, Anaheim got a great shot off a faceoff about a minute into it and again, Roloson was there. Huge scrum, Beauchemin almost managed to sweep the puck into the empty net, but somehow Roloson's arm was there, and again the Oilers need to buy Roloson a beer because he's been their best penalty killer.
More sustained pressure by the Ducks, for about a minute and a half - it's like 5 on 5 penalty killing for the Oilers. 1:30 left, Samsonov and ?? had a great rush, Bryzgalov made a great save to keep the Ducks into it. 30 seconds left, Harvey made another good clear, but all the action was in Edmonton's end, until Roloson passed to Pisani, who chipped it out to Peca, and into the EN it went.
What the Oilers did right: great penalty kill, great EV defense, and they were opportunistic as all get out. It was like watching the Oilers play the Flames earlier this season, except reversed.
What the Ducks did wrong: didn't take advantage of their power plays. They needed to do what they said they would do, and apply more pressure at the front of the net; they need to be more physical.
Final score, again 3-1 Edmonton.