ZEROING IN: DUCKS WIN ROOKIE GOALIE BRYZGALOV EXTENDS SHUTOUT STREAK DUCKS 3, COLORADO 0.

Byline: RICH HAMMOND  Staff Writer

ANAHEIM -- He did it again.

A month ago, many Mighty Ducks fans probably weren't totally sure how to pronounce the name of backup goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov. Now the formerly obscure goalie is the talk of the NHL.

Before the end of Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals Sunday, Ducks fans were on their feet, somewhat awkwardly chanting ``Bryz-ga-lov' at their new -- and highly unlikely -- hero.

The Ducks took a commanding lead in this series with a 3-0 victory over the Colorado Avalanche in front of 17,254 at the Pond, as Bryzgalov made 22 saves for his third consecutive playoff shutout.

Bryzgalov, a 25-year-old rookie, extended his shutout streak to 229 minutes, 42 seconds, pushing him past the franchise record set by Jean-Sebastien Giguere in 2003.

``I don't think even he realizes (what he's doing),'' Ducks winger Teemu Selanne said of Bryzgalov. ``He's just a guy who goes out there and has fun and doesn't take any extra pressure or anything.

``So don't tell him (what he's doing). ... The less he thinks, the less they score.''

Ryan Getzlaf scored a power-play goal with 2:43 remaining in the first period, and that would be all Bryzgalov needed, although Ruslan Salei and Joffrey Lupul added second-period goals.

Thanks to a bruising defense in front of him, Bryzgalov faced only 10 shots through two periods but made a handful of tough stops in the third period to keep his remarkable streak going.

Giguere's shutout streak of 217:54 got erased from the Ducks' record book midway through the third period, and Bryzgalov's streak is now the fourth longest in NHL playoff history. Montreal's George Hainsworth holds the record, with his streak of 270:08 in 1930.

``It's fun because we won the game,'' Bryzgalov said. ``It's not a big deal for me. I don't think about it. I concentrate for the game and help my team win the game. The team played very well defensively.''

Through two periods, that was true, although Bryzgalov helped set the tone when he made a point-blank save on Sakic seven minutes into the first period. And Bryzgalov was big again late, when he helped kill three Avalanche power plays in the third period and made a handful of acrobatic saves.

``It's quite an accomplishment,'' Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said, ``but to him, that's what he's supposed to do. We just hope he continues to do it. He made some big stops for our hockey club today.''

Bryzgalov's third consecutive playoff shutout also tied the record for playoff rookies, set by Toronto's Frank McCool in 1945, and who's to say Bryzgalov won't keep it up in Game 3 on Tuesday in Denver?

If nothing else, the Ducks have the momentum, and a huge advantage. In NHL playoff history, teams that have taken a 2-0 lead in a series have gone on to win that series 232 of 268 times (86.6percent).

``Right now we're just well prepared, and we're setting the tempo,'' Ducks forward Todd Marchant said. ``We're not standing around and watching. We're skating hard and using our speed to our advantage.''

The same thing happened in Game 1, a 5-0 victory, but after that game, the Ducks said all the right things, and insisted that they wouldn't be able to duplicate their drubbing of the Avalanche.

They were wrong.

``We did what we wanted to, again,'' Lupul said. ``It just seems like we're in a rhythm right now. We have a hot goalie back there right now, and that gives us a lot of confidence.''

The Ducks have now scored 13 consecutive goals, dating to Game 6 of the first round against Calgary, and now they face two games in Denver against a Colorado team desperate for a major turnaround.

``We had our best chances in the third period,'' Avalanche coach Joel Quenneville said. ``We didn't generate a lot in the first two. We still need more pucks and more people getting (to the net) and we're having a hard time finding it right now.''

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CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo:

(1) Mighty Ducks goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, right, extended his playoff shutout streak to 229 minutes, 42 seconds, the fourth-longest in NHL history.

Chris Carlson/Associated Press

(2) The Mighty Ducks' Ryan Getzlaf finishes off a check against Colorado defenseman Patrice Brisebois on Sunday

Robert Laberge/Getty Images

Box:

SHUTOUT STREAKS