Ducks D Sami Vatanen is late scratch for Game 2 vs Flames

Maybe the crowd was right.

The consensus from Flames players on Friday afternoon at Honda Center was that they played well 5-on-5, excluding the “brain cramp” as winger Kris Versteeg described the second-period breakdown that gifted the Ducks a goal and two subsequent penalties that led to Jakob Silfverberg’s victor.

They were short-handed seven times in the series opener and gave up two power-play goals.

SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. – Soo Greyhounds goalie Joseph Raaymakers of Chatham made 30 saves in a 4-3 loss to the Owen Sound Attack in the Ontario Hockey League playoffs Friday. A sprawling Gibson stuffed Johnny Gaudreau’s unsafe shot with 17.8 seconds remaining.

If Versteeg can keep dishing them out, it could make a world of difference for the Flames in what still figures to be a long series with Anaheim.

Game two of the playoffs goes Saturday night in Anaheim as the Calgary Flames try to even things up. It’s just that, so far, whatever the Flames try, the Ducks do a little better.

According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, the Ducks are favored at home tonight, as they are getting odds of -160 to win, while the Flames are being given a money line of +135 to prevail. And that’s where the pressure is applied.

The Ducks still have it for now.

For Boston, Charlie McAvoy plays 24 solid minutes on defense in Game 1 of its series against Ottawa.

Because of Kevin Bieksa’s alert pass the Ducks ended up with a 3-on-0 break, and Rakell cleaned up Getzlaf’s shot for his fourth career playoff goal.

Alex Chiasson looked to put the Flames up 3-2 at 9:47, but review showed Gibson was interfered with before the puck crossed the goal line and, as a non-reviewable play, the referee’s initial no-goal call stood. And then the Ducks feasted on Calgary’s regular visit to the penalty box. Brandon Montour won a puck battle along the board and Silfverberg grabbed the puck and snapped a hard wrist shot past Elliott.

And they continued their recent run in Game 1 by scoring twice in seven chances.

“The Ducks and Flames have already had ‘frank discussions”, as the diplomats say, over the issue of Calgary’s Mark Giordano sticking out of his knee and sidelining Anaheim’s Cam Fowler.

Whistles were still blown.

The problem was not enough even-strength hockey for the Flames to capitalize on that advantage, as demonstrated by the limited ice time for their top line of Monahan, Johnny Gaudreau and Micheal Ferland. “I think that’s the only sense of urgency we have in terms of being a team that wants to get to that point of playing for a championship”, left wing Andrew Cogliano said. “The referees are too good in the game”. They’ve set the guidelines.

“This playoff anthem by Cian Resnik name-checks all of the Flames” power players and devotes his lyrics to rapping about their skills on the ice. This is what is going to be expected. “We’re going to have to earn everything”.

The Ducks did so right away. It wasn’t the dreaded 28-game curse at the Honda Centre and it certainly wasn’t the incredible play of the Ducks, who at times looked like they were hanging on for dear life, especially when Ryan Kesler sat on the puck and took a delay of game penalty with just seconds left on the clock.

“Special teams are always a focal point when you go into the playoffs”, Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. – Recording two assists, it was Versteeg’s ninth career playoff game with multiple points. It doesn’t matter who you play, you’ve got to be able to control your emotions.