Dietz: Ducks not taking it easy

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Most teams at this point in the season aren't banging into each other and holding physical practices, but that's exactly what Anaheim was doing Saturday, just 25 hours before the Western Conference finals were set to kick off.

Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said his team has "embraced the practices" and not complained at all about their intensity. Defenseman Cam Fowler said how the team prepares is a big reason the Ducks are 8-1 in the postseason.

"I think the big reason why we've had some successes is because is how we've been practicing has carried over into the games," Fowler said. "That's really important, especially when you have six, seven days off. It might be easy to kind of sit back and relax for a second. But the good thing about our group is we continue to push each other in practice and I thought guys were competing all week."

Keeping their cool:

During the regular season, Anaheim ranked sixth with 10.8 penalty minutes per game. The Ducks have ratcheted that back to 9.56 in the playoffs, slightly less than the Hawks' 9.8. Ryan Kesler said Anaheim got "too emotional at times" but the team has been able to focus better and keep their cool in the postseason.

"When (Ryan Getzlaf or Corey Perry) would get hit … we would try to pay 'em back real quick," Kesler said. "For us there were times in every (playoff) series where things got a little harried and we kept our composure. That's the mindset of this group right now - we're here to win and we just keep winning hockey games."

Happy together:

Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf both broke into the league together in 2005 and have combined for 504 goals in 10 seasons. Hawks coach Joel Quenneville compared the duo's chemistry together to Vancouver's Sedin twins and Getzlaf didn't disagree Saturday when told about Q's thoughts.

"We've been playing together for 10 years now, played in a lot of big situations together, trust each other," Getzlaf said. "I think that's the biggest thing you learn when you play with somebody that long is to where they're going to be and they trust you're going to get them the puck when it's supposed to be there."

Toews-Kane problem:

Not many teams put their best two players on different lines like the Hawks do with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler said it definitely brings some challenges when facing Joel Quenneville's squad.

"It make it unique," Fowler said. "They have the ability that if they're down a goal, if they're pressing in the third period, they can put them together. It's a little unique that way in that they don't play together so they bring some different challenges.

"They have a little different skill set. Kaner's more of a puck-possession guy; creates a lot of time and space for his teammates. Toews has a lot of skill but he's more of a grit type of player and (he'll) outwork you in front of the net."