Ducks Need Getzlaf to Return to Form

Craig Custance -

DETROIT -- After playing only 15:55 in Game 4 while battling flu-like symptoms, Anaheim forward Ryan Getzlaf saw his ice time return above the 20-minute mark in Game 5.

But the player who was dominant in the first two games of this series wasn't on Sunday. Getzlaf registered only one shot and was a minus-1 while Randy Carlyle bounced him around between lines, looking for the right combination.

"I don't think it's physical," Carlyle said of Getzlaf. "It's one of those situations where you get any type of illness or you don't feel well -- it's taxing to play this game in the Stanley Cup playoffs. This isn't easy hockey."

When Anaheim split the first two games in Detroit, Getzlaf logged tons of ice time, including 38:59 in the three-overtime thriller. Detroit coach Mike Babcock said then he hoped the star forward and his linemates would eventually wear down.

It could be happening.

"You're trying to (wear them down). They have to play those guys big minutes," Babcock said. "In saying that, you get to enjoy this for about 15 seconds and then you worry about next game."

Datsyuk pressing?: Babcock said he is concerned that forward Pavel Datsyuk might be thinking too much on the ice. The talented center has only one goal this postseason and hasn't scored against the Ducks.

By comparison, Datsyuk had five goals in his first nine playoff games last spring.

"I like him to score. You know why? Because he'd like to score. It doesn't matter what I tell him about how he's playing, if he doesn't score he doesn't think he has value," Babcock said. "He'll fight through it."

Teammate Kirk Maltby said Datsyuk has been the focus of the opposition's defense each night, which hasn't made it easy.

"He's more or less getting into double-coverage, it's like football," Maltby said. "He's still creating offensive chances ... they're going to go in sooner or later."

Craig Custance is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at ccustance@sportingnews.com.