Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf could wind up seeing Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar in his nightmares once the playoffs are over.
Getzlaf and the rest of the Ducks were shut down and shutout by the Kings in Game 2. With Anaheim having home ice in Game 2, coach Bruce Boudreau did his best to get Getzlaf and his line matched up away from Kopitar’s line.
As Boudreau said after the game, his reasoning was simple as Jon Rosen of L.A. Kings Insider shared.
“Well, I did it because Kopitar’s line was dominating them,” Boudreau said. “When they’re dominating them, I could be stubborn and leave ‘em out there all day, but we had to move something around to get away from it, and maybe his line could get something accomplished.”
Nothing got accomplished, however, as the Ducks weren’t able to beat Jonathan Quick. While Getzlaf’s line with Corey Perry and Matt Beleskey were able to generate plenty of shots, the quality chances weren’t there to be had. As it is, Getzlaf has two assists in the series.
With how Kopitar and his line have played offensively (Kopitar has a point in every game in the playoffs so far), the defensive domination is an added frustration for Anaheim.
With the series moving to Staples Center in Los Angeles, Getzlaf and his linemates better get accustomed to seeing Kopitar and start finding a way to gain an edge.