Kings vs. Ducks: Preview and Prediction for NHL Playoffs 2014 Matchup

After an incredible Wednesday night that featured three separate Game 7s, the NHL's first round came to an end.

Hockey continues without a breather, though. The second round kicks off Thursday, and all of the new series will be in action by Saturday, including the Pacific Division contest between the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks.

In the following slides, we'll analyze what happened to those two teams in Round 1, break down the matchup for their semifinal series and provide viewing notes, predictions and everything else a fan getting set for the series needs to know.

Unless otherwise noted, statistics are courtesy of Extra Skater and NHL.com. 

First-Round Recap

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Anaheim Ducks: Anaheim had some trouble with a Stars team that at least in theory should have been a heavy underdog. Not only did the series go six games, but three of the Ducks' four wins were one-goal affairs. It was also a physically punishing series, perhaps the most brutal matchup in the first round in that regard.

Los Angeles Kings: Of course, if we were to say the Kings had some trouble in the first round, we'd be understating the situation. Whatever dramatics the Anaheim-Dallas series contained, they were dwarfed by what happened in Los Angeles-San Jose. The Sharks jumped out to a dominant 3-0 lead in the series, but the Kings survived and then threatened and finally triumphed with four consecutive wins to complete the comeback. 

Schedule and TV Info

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The schedule breaks down as follows:

• Game 1: Saturday, May 3, 8:00 p.m.
• Game 2: Monday, May 5, 10:0 p.m.
• Game 3: Thursday, May 8, 10:00 p.m.
• Game 4: Saturday, May 10, TBD
• Game 5*: Monday, May 12, TBD
• Game 6*: Wednesday, May 14, TBD
• Game 7*: Friday, May 16, TBD

Games 1-3 will be carried on NBCSN, TSN and RDS. 

Game 4-7 will be carried on TSN. 

Other television information was unavailable at press time.  

*If necessary.

Key Storylines

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Teemu Selanne's role: Selanne, the veteran winger who commands virtually unparalleled respect across the NHL, spent Game 4 of the Ducks' first-round series against Dallas as a healthy scratch. The Finn did contribute five shots and two assists in the final contest between the two teams (his best game of the series), but his usage is going to be something to watch for. 

The advanced stats: The shot metrics—Corsi, Fenwick and plain old shots on goal—indicate that the presumptive underdog Kings are actually a much superior team to Anaheim. Given the difference in the standings and the always controversial nature of those numbers, this is bound to get a lot of attention over the course of the series.   

Players to Watch

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Andrew Cogliano: The speedy Cogliano has the potential to be vitally important to this series. The bottom end of the Kings' defensive depth chart has some definite mobility issues, and Cogliano's skating ability and his role in Anaheim make him ideally placed to take advantage of that. He's been a superb player for the Ducks over the last two seasons after being discarded by Edmonton. 

Drew Doughty: There's a perception of the Kings as a slow cycling team, the kind that gains the offensive zone and rags the puck deep. While the team can do that, against San Jose, the vast majority of the Kings' offence came off the rush—and no player on the team did more to start those plays than Doughty. His ability to transition from defence to the attack in an instant is one of the greatest threats Anaheim needs to guard against. 

Goaltender Breakdown

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Jonas Hiller/Frederik Andersen: The Ducks made use of two goalies in the first round after Hiller's struggles to close out the season forced a mini-crisis. Andersen started the playoffs for the Ducks but underwhelmed with a .892 save percentage. He was pulled in Game 6 in favour of Hiller, who stopped all 12 shots he saw to secure victory for the Ducks. This is very much not a settled issue for Anaheim.

Jonathan Quick: The Kings, too, had their struggles, as Quick was lit up early by San Jose, but he found his form as the series progressed and was brilliant in the final games of the first round. Given his history, particularly in the playoffs, there is every reason to believe Los Angeles is happy with what it has.

Biggest Mismatch

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It's hard to ignore the goaltending here.

The Anaheim nets are unsettled. Frederik Andersen, who took the starting job late in the year, is a rookie who had serious problems against Dallas. Jonas Hiller, who normally would provide stability, slumped miserably as the season went on and may or may not be his team's choice to start against L.A.

The Kings have no such problems. They committed to Quick, and despite some early troubles, that commitment paid off late against San Jose. The form he showed in the last few games of that series was incredible; he turned aside shot after shot after shot and seems to have found his usual playoff form. 

Los Angeles Kings Will Win If They Get Comparable Goaltending

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In score-close situations at even strength this year, the Kings were a dominant NHL team, averaging 32.3 shots per hour and allowing only 25.1. The Ducks weren't bad, but they averaged two shots per hour less and allowed 3.5 shots per hour more.

Anaheim got away with that thanks to some incredible shooting percentages. Where the Kings converted only 6.0 percent of their shots, Anaheim scored at a 10.7 percent clip.

That's where the goaltending comes in. If the Kings' netminder outplays his counterpart at the other end of the rink, Los Angeles should a) be able to run up a massive shot differential and b) outscore the Ducks. 

Anaheim Ducks Will Win If This Becomes a Special Teams Battle

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Anaheim's power play didn't win any prizes during the regular season, but it's been a pretty good unit for several years now (fourth in the NHL in 2012-13) and worked wonders against the Dallas Stars, converting at a 26.9 percent clip. 

One of the areas where the Ducks have the upper hand is in terms of pure offensive talent; Anze Kopitar is a wonderful player, but he's not Ryan Getzlaf's equal offensively, and Corey Perry is a weapon from the wing the Kings don't really have an answer for. 

If this turns into a special teams battle rather than even-strength one, the Ducks' potent power play could be the deciding factor. 

Prediction

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Despite the regular-season results, Los Angeles feels like the right call here.

The Kings have the capability of playing a ruthlessly effective five-on-five game that the Ducks just can't match, they have the benefit of confidence in their starting goaltender and unlike the Ducks, Los Angeles already has the experience of having faced a legitimate Stanley Cup contender in the first round. 

Prediction: Kings win in six games.