Ducks' Kesler on Game 4 vs. Flames: 'We've got to make it a boring game'

The NHL playoffs are supposed to be exciting, at least for the home audience, but Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Kesler hopes to change that when his team squares off against the Calgary Flames in Game 4 of their series Friday.

"We've got to stick to our game plan. We've got to hit. We've got to grind it out," Kesler said to Helene Elliott of the LA Times. "We've got to make it a boring game that's along the boards, and use our size to our advantage."

The Ducks clearly stuck to the plan in the first two contests of the series, bullying the smaller Flames while using their size and strength as an advantage.

Kesler thinks they need to get back to that style of play.

"We've got to use it," Kesler said of the Ducks physicality. "We know what made us successful this year. It's playing that down-below-the-circle hockey, and cycling the puck and wearing them down, and if we do that we'll be fine."

Veteran defenseman Francois Beauchemin, who won a Stanley Cup with the Ducks in 2007, knows what it takes to become a champion and agreed with Kesler's point of view.

"We've shown that when we play our game and when we're aggressive and play hard in the offensive zone and we're physical, that we can do some damage to other teams," Beauchemin said.

"With the type of team that we are, we can't defend like we did the last half of Game 2 and the whole game (Tuesday) night. We did OK in the first, and in the second and third we just sat back. That's not what we want to do to win. We've got to use our strength, and our strength is getting in on the forecheck and being physical."

Anaheim spent the day Wednesday practicing in Banff and look to take a three to one series advantage over Calgary after Friday's contest.