After nearly making it into the Western Conference finals last year, then re-signing Scott Niedermayer and obtaining Saku Koivu, the Ducks appeared poised for a sure-fire playoff spot.
Instead, Anaheim is struggling to find its footing, with a division-low 19 points, making the Ducks the West's counterpart to inexplicably slow-starting Carolina. The talent level is unquestioned, but the postseason is going to be a dream unless the Ducks get it going fast.
Anaheim does have one good roll going. Corey Perry is riding a 15-game scoring streak.
A crucial offseason, possibly the most significant in franchise history, is underway for the Minnesota Wild. Head coach Jacques Lemaire and general manager Doug Risebrough, the only people to ever hold those positions for the Wild, are both gone.
The process of finding a new general manager took precedent for owner Craig Leipold, and he made sure to take his time and get things right. After a series of interviews, and a list of candidates that included high-profile broadcaster Pierre McGuire, Leipold has settled on a front-office veteran with a track record of helping build winning teams.
Ryan Getzlaf finally looked like himself again after a bout of flu or an undisclosed injury, take your pick. And with Getzlaf rejuvenated, the Ducks were rejuvenated, outplaying the defending champion Red Wings much of the night to force Game 7 at Detroit on Thursday night.
Getzlaf, who'd managed only two shots in the previous two games for the eight-seeded Ducks, scored Anaheim's first goal and assisted on the second in the Ducks' 2-1 victory at the Honda Center, evening the Western Conference semifinals series at three games apiece.
Surely, NBC executives were grateful for the work of Anaheim Duck Todd Marchant. After all, they were one period of extra-time hockey away from having to pre-empt the start of prime-time programming. Being that this is May, a major ratings period in television, this isn't exactly a wonderful proposition. Even the biggest hockey fan has to admit that there isn't a huge number coming to you when you air a hockey game.
Those who were watching, though, were treated to a classic. The Ducks and Red Wings gave us our first multiple-overtime game of these playoffs, and one can only hope it's a sign of things to come in this hotly-contested series.
Throughout their first-round series against top-seed San Jose, the Anaheim Ducks made a habit out of being badly outshot. They did a wonderful job protecting goalie Jonas Hiller, and he was awesome stopping the first shot, whether he got a good look or not.
Red Wings 3, Ducks 2: Recap | Box Score | Friday's Scores Detroit leads series, 1-0 | Next Game: Sunday @ DET, 2 PM ET
Two years ago, a much more heralded Anaheim Ducks team took out Detroit on their way to a Stanley Cup. This time, the Ducks enter a series against the Red Wings as perhaps the most-feared eighth seed in NHL playoff history. That said, they're still an eighth seed, and a decided underdog. Is this the end of "Cinderella"?
The Detroit Red Wings are one of the deepest offensive teams in the NHL. Unfortunately for them, they don't boast similar defensive depth. Instead, they tend to lean on their puck possession and scoring to mask some flaws along the blue line and in goal.
As a result, news that veteran puck-moving defenseman Brian Rafalski will miss Game 1 of the Wings' Western Conference semifinal series against Anaheim is not good. It's not a death blow -- as an injury to Nicklas Lidstrom would be -- but it's not a good way for Detroit to start this series.
Hostilities began when the puck dropped, and in a penalty-happy Game 6, the Ducks took better advantage of the man advantage and knocked the top-seeded Sharks out of the playoffs.
San Jose, which finished with a league-best 117 points, fell 4-1 at the Honda Center and became the fourth President's Trophy winning team to fall in the first round. Perennial disappointments who have yet to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Sharks do not have a good relationship with sixth games in playoff series, and are now 2-13 overall and 1-7 on the road in those games.
If you had been watching this series and not known which team was the Presidents' Trophy winner and which was the eighth seed, you would probably think the Ducks were the favorites in this series. They have dominated the play despite getting out shot in each game, a testament to goalie Jonas Hiller and the Ducks defense.
Patrick Marleau has borne the brunt of the criticism during San Jose's recent postseason disappointments, and that carried right into the first two games of the Sharks' first-round series against the Anaheim Ducks.
That is until the Sharks' captain came up with the game-deciding goal in Tuesday night's 4-3 victory over Anaheim at the Honda Center. Marleau's tip-in from the slot came with 10:33 left in the third period and the Sharks on a power play after Corey Perry was called for hooking San Jose's Dan Boyle.
That gave the Sharks their fourth one-goal lead of the night, and they held on as Bobby Ryan got off the only shot for Anaheim after the Ducks pulled goalie Jonas Hiller with 1:30 left. The eighth-seeded Ducks lead the series two games to one over the President's Cup winners.
After nearly making it into the Western Conference finals last year, then re-signing Scott Niedermayer and obtaining Saku Koivu, the Ducks appeared poised for a sure-fire playoff spot.
Ryan Getzlaf
Surely, NBC executives were grateful for the work of Anaheim Duck 
The Detroit Red Wings are one of the deepest offensive teams in the NHL. Unfortunately for them, they don't boast similar defensive depth. Instead, they tend to lean on their puck possession and scoring to mask some flaws along the blue line and in goal.
Hostilities began when the puck dropped, and in a penalty-happy Game 6, the Ducks took better advantage of the man advantage and knocked the top-seeded Sharks out of the playoffs.
Can we even call this an upset at this point?
Patrick Marleau
