This was it. Playoffs. This regular season felt much longer than most, probably due to the injuries and struggles that Anaheim faced over the course of the last 82 games. Nevertheless, the team persevered, and here they were ready to play an in-state rival to kick off the postseason.
Just about everybody expected this series to be very closely played, with the teams being among the most evenly matched in the entire playoff bracket. This game did not appear to be that way, with the Sharks taking full advantage of the far-too-many penalties that the Ducks ended up taking.