One of the special things about the Stanley Cup playoffs is watching the league's best coaches play chess with matchups.
An innovation of the analytics movement in hockey now allows us to dig deeper into these decisions by studying the success or failure of these line matches or one-on-one battles.
In the Western Conference final between the Anaheim Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks, most thought that we would see superstars Ryan Getzlaf and Jonathan Toews facing off in the key moments. Instead, Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau used his second line center, Ryan Kesler, to go head-to-head with the two-time Stanley Cup winning captain.
It appears Kesler was acquired by the Ducks in an offseason trade for this very reason.