The first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs will conclude Wednesday night when the Calgary Flames host the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the seventh and deciding game of their series at the Saddledome.
Five of the six games in the series thus far have been decided by one goal. The Ducks staved off elimintaion Monday night at the Pond in Anaheim with a 2-1 win to force tonight's deciding contest.
The key for the underdog Ducks has been the play of goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov. Bryzgalov has subbed for the injured and ineffective J.S Giguere who ha a 3.87 goals against average in four games this post-season. Bryzgalov has allowed only three goals against the Flames while facing 78 shots.
Giguerre was the hero of the Ducks 2003 run to the Stanley Cup finals and even won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP despite the fact that the Ducks fell to the New Jersey Devils in seven games in the finals. Anaheim head coach Randy Carlyle has not announced who would start tonight's game as of yet.
If the Flames win tonight, they will face eighth-seeded Edmonton in the second round in a re-match of the 'Battle of Alberta' made famous during the 1980s. If the Mighty Ducks win, they will take on Colorado and Edmonton will face the San Jose Sharks.
Calgary's Stephane Yelle has played in nine game sevens in his NHL career. 'There's a different feeling with Game sevens,' Yelle told the 'Los Angeles Times.' 'It's a mix of different things. Emotions. You know the fact that it's a do-or-die situation and you got to get the job done. When you're a kid and you play outside, it's always Game seven. For some reason, that sticks with you to this day.'
Flames defenseman Andrew Ference said his club remains confident. 'Right now, it is just a matter of execution. If everybody shows up and does their job, I think there's a ton of confidence.'
The home team has won 63 percent of game sevens dating back to 1939 when the NHL expanded playoff series to a best-of-seven format.
