DUCKS GET WILD LATE IN GAME 1 PENNER'S GOAL WITH 5:20 LEFT IS THE DIFFERENCE DUCKS 2, MINN. 1.

Byline: ELLIOTT TEAFORD

Staff Writer

Ilya Bryzgalov led the Ducks onto the Honda Center ice for Game 1 of their opening-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Minnesota Wild, as Coach Randy Carlyle made a difficult goaltending decision.

Carlyle picked Bryzgalov to start because Jean-Sebastien Giguere has been dealing for the last week with some distressing news about his newborn son, Maxime.

Hours before the Ducks would take a 2-1 lead on Dustin Penner's goal with 5:20 remaining in the third period, Giguere revealed for the first time that his son was born with a deformity and cannot see out of his right eye.

Giguere learned after a visit to a specialist at UCLA on Tuesday that Maxime's left eye is normal, however.

"We got some pretty good news, but now it's time to focus on hockey," said Giguere, the MVP of the 2003 playoffs and the franchise record-holder with 36 victories this season. "Having that pressure lifted, now I can focus on what I have to do."

Bryzgalov started in goal for the Ducks' final three regular-season games while Giguere remained at home with his wife, Kristen, and Maxime.

"We're just trying to get him back to his routine," Francois Allaire, the Ducks' goaltending consultant, said of Giguere before the game. "The pressure has been reduced and he was able to sleep well (Tuesday night)."

Bryzgalov, who was sharp in shootout losses to San Jose and Dallas and a victory over Columbus last week to end the regular season, got the call for Game 1. It was a bit of a surprise only because Carlyle makes it a practice of not revealing his starting goaltender beforehand.

Asked by a Twin Cities reporter who would start Game 1, Carlyle delivered his customary response: "You'll just have to come to the warmup and see," he said.

It wasn't as if Bryzgalov hadn't been in the playoff pressure-cooker before Wednesday night. He assumed the No. 1 spot after Giguere suffered a groin injury before last season's playoffs started and sparked the Ducks to the Western Conference finals.

The Ducks played soundly in front of him Wednesday, but still trailed early in the second period after Pavol Demitra snapped a quick shot past Bryzgalov's glove.

The Wild's lead lasted less than four minutes, however. Teemu Selanne scored the equalizer on a breakaway after a long lead pass from defenseman Francois Beauchemin.

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2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) The Ducks' Sean O'Donnell, center, blocks a shot by Minnesota's Brian Rolston, right, during the first period Wednesday at Honda Center.

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

(2) The Ducks' Chris Kunitz, Teemu Selanne and Andy McDonald celebrate Selanne's second-period goal as Minnesota's Nick Schultz skates away.

Mark Avery/Associated Press