ANAHEIM, Calif. - Hampus Lindholm, Nate Thompson and Jakob Silfverberg each had a goal and an assist, and the Anaheim Ducks opened the Western Conference finals with a 4-1 victory Sunday against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Frederik Andersen made 32 saves and Kyle Palmieri also scored for the Ducks. They opened their first conference finals in eight years with a strong all-around performance while improving to 9-1 in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Both teams' top offensive stars were shut down in the opener, but the Ducks' supporting cast contributed timely scoring, capped by Thompson's goal with 7:55 to play and Silfverberg's empty-net goal with 1:18 left.
Brad Richards scored late in the second period and Corey Crawford stopped 23 shots for Chicago, which hadn't lost since April 23.
Game 2 is Tuesday night in Anaheim.
Andersen was stellar under a heavy barrage of high-quality shots from the Blackhawks, who had won five straight postseason games heading into their third straight conference finals.
These powerhouse teams both entered the series with prolonged rolls and plenty of rest.
The Blackhawks never trailed in their second-round series sweep of Minnesota while reaching their third straight conference finals, while Anaheim steamrolled through the Pacific Division bracket with just one overtime defeat.