Sharks will test Ducks’ defense

The path to the Stanley Cup is likely to go through San Jose, so the Ducks figure now is as good a time as any to gauge how they measure up against the NHL’s top regular-season team.

The Ducks dropped to eighth in the West on Sunday when St. Louis beat Colorado, matching the Ducks and Sharks in a first-round series that will start Thursday at HP Pavilion.

“It’s certainly going to be a test,” defenseman Chris Pronger said. “I’ve played in that building quite a few times, and it’s going to be loud and energetic and they’re going to feed off the crowd. It’s going to be a lot more hostile environment than a lot of cities.”

Center Ryan Getzlaf, who led the Ducks in scoring and tied for sixth in the NHL with 91 points, expects emotions to be heated between the Pacific division rivals.

“Discipline is going to be huge,” he said. “It should be a hard-fought series, but it’s got to be done between the whistles.”

Pronger cited discipline and defense as the keys for the Ducks, who were 10-2-1 down the stretch.

“By playing well defensively, you cut down on mistakes that lead to penalties,” he said, “and it gives our goalies a lot better chance. We know how Jonas [Hiller] played, and we know what [Jean-Sebastien Giguere] is capable of in the playoffs.”

This will be the second intra-California playoff series. The first was a 1969 quarterfinal in which the Kings defeated the Oakland Seals. Another intrastate rivalry will start Wednesday in Pennsylvania, between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers. It’s a rematch of last year’s East finals, won by the Penguins.

Another novelty will be the playoff debut of the Columbus Blue Jackets, in their eighth season. But there will be a familiar rivalry in the East, when Boston and Montreal meet for the 32nd time.

WEST MATCHUPS

--

NO. 1 SAN JOSE SHARKS

VS. NO. 8 DUCKS

Records: San Jose 53-18-11-- 117; Ducks 42-33-7 -- 91.

Season series: San Jose, 4-2.

Leading scorers: Sharks: Joe Thornton 25-61-- 86. Ducks: Ryan Getzlaf 25-66 -- 91.

Keys: The Sharks face enormous pressure after several postseason flops. They were No. 1 overall and had the top home record (32-5-4) and are healthy after some injuries. The Ducks rallied from 12th on March 15 to grab their fourth straight playoff berth. Goalie Jonas Hiller was yanked in the finale, creating doubts about their goaltending. Their lack of discipline has hurt because their penalty killing ranked 23rd at 79.7%. Look for lots of hitting and emotion. The Sharks should win unless the Ducks start well and the ghosts of past early exits wrap their fingers around the Sharks’ throats.

NO. 2 DETROIT RED WINGS

VS. NO. 7 COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS

Records: Detroit 51-21-10 -- 112; Columbus 41-31-10 -- 92.

Season series: Detroit, 3-2-1.

Leading scorers: Red Wings: Pavel Datsyuk 32-65 -- 97. Blue Jackets: Rick Nash 40-39 -- 79.

Keys: Red Wings fans are worried about their goaltending, and with good reason. Chris Osgood (3.09 goals-against, .887 save percentage) hasn’t inspired confidence. But the Red Wings scored a league-leading 295 goals, making up for soft spots such as their 25th-ranked penalty killing. The Blue Jackets, making their playoff debut, might be awed against the defending champions. They’ll need more out of a power play that was last in the NHL, at 12.7%. The Red Wings should prevail in six.

NO. 3 VANCOUVER CANUCKS

VS. NO. 6 ST. LOUIS BLUES

Records: Vancouver 45-27-10 -- 100; St. Louis 41-31-10 -- 92.

Season series: 2-2-0.

Leading scorers: Canucks: Daniel Sedin 31-51-- 82. Blues: Brad Boyes 33-39 -- 72.

Keys: Vancouver’s big line of twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin and winger Alex Burrows will be crucial. They’re fast, skillful and tough to stop. Goalie Roberto Luongo (2.34, .920, nine shutouts in 54 games) can steal games. The Blues had the NHL’s best record in the second half of the season (25-9-7) despite being swamped by injuries. Goalie Chris Mason (2.41, .916) led them from 15th to their first playoff berth in four seasons, and they ended on a 9-1-1 run. If Andy Murray isn’t coach of the year, the award should be discontinued. Blues in an upset.

NO. 4 CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

VS. NO. 5 CALGARY FLAMES

Records: Chicago 46-24-12 -- 104; Calgary 46-30-6 -- 98.

Season series: Chicago 4-0-0.

Leading scorers: Blackhawks: Martin Havlat 29-48 -- 77. Flames: Jarome Iginla 35-54 -- 89.

Keys: The Blackhawks brought crowds back to the United Center with a young, dynamic team that played solid defense and had a fifth-ranked goals-against average of 2.55. They hit a flat spot in mid-March but awakened in time for a 6-0-1 finish in April. The Flames have been sputtering, losing the Northwest division title to Vancouver and winning only four of their last 10. The Blackhawks should be able to overcome their playoff inexperience. Chicago in five or six.

--

EAST MATCHUPS

--

NO. 1 BOSTON BRUINS VS.

NO. 8 MONTREAL CANADIENS

Records: Boston 53-19-10 -- 116; Montreal 41-30-11-- 93.

Season series: Boston 5-0-1.

Leading scorers: Bruins: Marc Savard 25-63 -- 88. Canadiens: Alex Kovalev 26-39 -- 65.

Keys: This is their 32nd matchup, the most of any NHL foes. Montreal’s 24-7 edge includes a first-round victory last spring. This will be different. Led by Tim Thomas, the NHL leader in goals-against average (2.10) and save percentage (.933), the Bruins dominated the East. Seven Bruins scored 20 goals or more, and defenseman Zdeno Chara made a good case for the Norris Trophy. The Canadiens were supposed to celebrate their centennial season by winning the Cup, but their fast start faded to a weak finish. Goalie Carey Price, 21, will be under constant scrutiny.

NO. 2 WASHINGTON CAPITALS

VS. NO. 7 NEW YORK RANGERS

Records: Washington 50-24-8 -- 108; New York 43-30-9 -- 95.

Season series: Washington 3-0-1.

Leading scorers: Capitals: Alexander Ovechkin 56-54 -- 110. Rangers: Nik Antropov 28-31-- 59.

Keys: Ovechkin won his second straight goalscoring title, and Mike Green led defensemen in scoring with 31 goals and 73 points. Center Nicklas Backstrom (22 goals, 88 points) and left wing Alexander Semin (34 goals, 79 points) add to a potent offense. The Capitals had the league’s second-best power play, 25.2%, trailing only Detroit’s 25.5% success rate. The Rangers, the lowest-scoring playoff team with 210 goals, will be hard-pressed to keep up. The Caps should win in five.

NO. 3 NEW JERSEY DEVILS

VS. NO. 6 CAROLINA HURRICANES

Records: New Jersey 51-27-4 -- 106; Carolina 45-30-7-- 97.

Season series: Carolina 3-1-0.

Leading scorers: Devils: Zach Parise 45-49 -- 94. Hurricanes: Ray Whitney 24-53 -- 77.

Keys: The Devils set a franchise record for victories despite losing goalie Martin Brodeur to arm surgery for most of the season. Parise has had a breakout season, but defense will be their strong point, as always. The Hurricanes finished a strong second half with an 8-2-0 push. Goalie Cam Ward (2.44, .916) is nearing the form he displayed as the most valuable player in Carolina’s 2006 Cup triumph. They’re not spectacular, but they’re solid just about everywhere. ‘Canes in seven.

NO. 4 PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

VS. NO. 5 PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

Records: Pittsburgh 45-28-9 -- 99; Philadelphia 44-27-11-- 99.

Season series: Pittsburgh 4-2.

Leading scorers: Penguins: Evgeni Malkin 35-78 -- 113. Flyers: Jeff Carter 48-38 -- 84.

Keys: Malkin won his first scoring title -- and probably not his last -- with a career-best season. With Sidney Crosby (33-70 -- 103), the Penguins are the only team to have two players who scored 100 points or more. Strange that their power play ranked only 20th with a 17.2% conversion rate. The Flyers had a chance to pass the Penguins and gain home-ice advantage but lost their regular-season finale to end on a 4-5-1 downturn. Statistically these teams are close, but the Penguins should win.

--

helene.elliott@latimes.com