Anaheim opens 2-0 lead in chase for Cup

~ The Ducks' defensemen propel them to a series lead.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Checkmate.

The Anaheim Ducks' defensive stalwarts are hurting the Ottawa Senators on offense, too.

Samuel Pahlsson figured out sharp Senators goalie Ray Emery with 5:44 left in the third period to give the Ducks a 1-0 victory over Ottawa on Wednesday night and a 2-0 lead in the Stanley Cup finals.

Pahlsson, a finalist to be the NHL's top defensive forward, joined linemate Travis Moen with game-winning goals in the series. They already mastered the job of shutting down Ottawa's high-flying top line and now are providing the finishing blows against the Eastern Conference champs.

"We worked really hard the whole game for that one, but we couldn't get anything by Emery," Pahlsson said. "We just try to play our game, make it easy for us and hard for them. We got some goals and we don't expect that every game. It's fun."

On Saturday, the series will shift to Ottawa for the first time since 1927, and the Senators will have to figure out a way to break out of a scoring funk in the next two games to earn a trip back to Southern California.