May 31--The Ducks had the early pressure, but Chicago got on the scoreboard first.
Naturally, the statement goal came from Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, who was alone in front of Ducks goalie Frederik Andersen and converted his own rebound at 2:23 of the first period.
For Toews, it was his eighth goal of the playoffs. His two goals in Game 5 in the last two minutes of regulation forced overtime before the Ducks went on to win it.
Pregame
None other than the Great One, Wayne Gretzky, was on hand at Honda Center for Game 7 between the Ducks and the Blackhawks.
After all, he is the man primarily responsible for the placement of an NHL franchise in Anaheim and massive growth of hockey in Southern California.
Now to the lineups: There will be one change for the Ducks. Forward Tomas Fleishmann (The Closer) is back in for Game 7 and forward Emerson Etem is out. Anaheim is 5-0 with Fleischmann in the lineup in the playoffs.
The starters for Chicago: Goalie Corey Crawford; defensemen Duncan Keith and Niklas Hjalmarsson; forwards Brandon Saad, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.
Anaheim's starters: Goalie Frederik Andersen; defensemen Francois Beauchemin and Hampus Lindholm; forwards Matt Beleskey, Ryan Kesler and Jakob Silfverberg.
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Game 7 ... what else would you expect in the Western Conference finals?
It's the Ducks and the Blackhawks coming up in a few minutes at Honda Center. Chicago has been down this road, many times, including losing to the Kings in the 2014 conference finals in seven games.
The Ducks, again, are one game from reaching the Stanley Cup Final. They led the series, 3-2, but lost on Wednesday night at Chicago. If they win, it would be their first appearance in the championship series since they won the Stanley Cup in 2007.
Waiting for the Ducks or the Blackhawks is the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning beat the New York Rangers, 2-0, in Game 7 on Friday night in the Eastern Conference Final.
Again, there will be Los Angeles Times coverage on twitter from columnist Helene Elliott (@helenenothelen), Lance Pugmire (@latimespugmire) and Lisa Dillman (reallisa). From the Chicago perspective: Tribune beat writer Chris Kuc (@ChrisKuc) and columnist David Haugh (@DavidHaugh).
Here are a few Game 7 stats to ponder before the puck drops. Chicago forward Brad Richards is 7-0 in Game 7s. He appeared in five with the New York Rangers and two with Tampa Bay.
The Ducks are 2-4 in Game 7s and have lost their last three, including the last two on home ice. They lost to the Kings in the second round in 2014, the Detroit Red Wings in 2013 and the Red Wings in 2009.
Chicago is 6-6 in Game 7s and have won just once in four Game 7s on the road. In 1965, they beat the Red Wings at Detroit in Game 7 in the semifinals.
