The Freeway Series is set to make its NHL playoff debut on Saturday, as the Anaheim Ducks host the Los Angeles Kings in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. Watch the game on TSN at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The new format unveiled for the 2014 playoffs was designed to force more geographical rivalries in the first few rounds. It certainly has paid off with this matchup, as these two Southern California rivals get set to meet in the postseason for the first time. The Ducks and Kings are shining examples of Gary Bettmans dream that hockey could work on the West Coast. The Kings entered the league as an original expansion club in 1967-68 -- well before Bettmans tenure as commissioner -- but Anaheim, an expansion club in 1993-94, broke through first with a Stanley Cup title in 2007. L.A., of course, was able to join the same club by winning a Cup as an eighth seed in the spring of 2012. Anaheim, the top seed in the West, finished 16 points ahead of Los Angeles in the Pacific Division standings this season and holds home-ice advantage at the start of this best-of-seven set. The Ducks also will host Game 2 on Monday before the series shifts to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4. The Ducks went 4-0-1 against the Kings during the regular-season series, but a 3-0 win by Anaheim in L.A. on Jan. 25 marked the only encounter that was decided by more than one goal. The Kings enter this second-round series only days after earning a slice of NHL history by combing back from a 3-0 series deficit to eliminate the San Jose Sharks. Los Angeles completed the monumental comeback with its fourth straight win over the Sharks on Wednesday, taking the series with a 5-1 rout in San Jose. L.A. joined the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, 1975 New York Islanders and 2010 Philadelphia Flyers as the only teams to pull off the monumental comeback. After winning the franchises first Stanley Cup in 2012 and making it to the Western Conference finals last season, the Kings were already on the rest of the leagues radar before the comeback, but the rally against San Jose is another reminder how dangerous this team L.A. can be. Despite dropping the first two games in San Jose by a combined score of 13-5 and losing a home Game 3 in overtime, the Kings came back from the brink of elimination to survive and advance. "It was a result of us staying together as a group of guys. When youve gone to the top of the mountain with the same group of guys its a little bit easier when youre at the bottom to come up," Kings captain Dustin Brown said. L.A. was the top defensive team in the league during the regular season, allowing an average of 2.05 goals per game. After getting torched for 17 goals in losing the first three games against San Jose, the Kings righted themselves and allowed the Sharks to score just five times the rest of the way. By the end of the series even the Kings offense was rolling. L.A. outscored the Sharks 12-2 over the final three games. The historic comeback was a total team effort, but it may not have been possible without Jonathan Quicks play in the crease. The 2012 Conn Smythe winner posted a save percentage of .963 over the final four games against San Jose and that number jumps to .979 over the last three contests. Over 57 career postseason games, the 28-year-old Quick boasts a 2.15 GAA and .927 save percentage. Including eight shutouts, the American netminder has held the opposition to one goal or less 21 times during his standout playoff career. While Quick is the clear-cut No. 1 in the L.A. crease, the Ducks situation between the pipes is murky to say the least. Anaheim head coach Bruce Boudreau made the controversial decision to go with rookie Frederik Andersen at the start of the clubs first-round series against Dallas, but veteran backstop Jonas Hiller was in the crease when the Ducks finally clinched in Game 6. Hiller will start in Game 1 against the Kings. While Andersen started all six games in Round 1, Hiller was called upon to replace the 24-year-old on two occasions, including the Game 6 comeback win. Andersen was pulled after allowing four goals on 12 shots in that final game and Hiller stopped all 12 shots he faced to earn the series-clinching victory. Hiller is 11-10 with a 2.24 goals against average and .936 save percentage in 22 career playoff appearances. Andersen went 3-2 with a 3.40 GAA and .892 save percentage against the Stars in a rough introduction to the NHL postseason. The Ducks almost were pushed to a decisive seventh game by Dallas if not for a furious comeback to win a road Game 6 in overtime. The Stars led 4-2 heading into third period before Anaheim scored twice in the final 2:10 of regulation and winning it 5-4 early in overtime. Nick Bonino scored two of the games final three goals to help the Ducks pull off the comeback. Bonino tied for the team lead with three goals in Round 1, but Anaheims best player in the series was Hart Trophy finalist Ryan Getzlaf. The star centerman notched three goals and four assists against the Stars despite missing Game 4 due to a lower-body injury. Getzlaf returned to the lineup in Game 5 no worse for wear and helped spark a 6-2 rout with a one-goal, two-assist performance. Getzlafs linemate Corey Perry also had a solid first round, notching two goals and five assists to match his centerman for the team scoring lead in Round 1. All told, the Ducks spread out the goal-scoring against the Stars with 13 different players hitting the net. In addition to Bonino, Getzlaf and Perry, forwards Mathieu Perreault and Devante Smith-Pelly also added multiple goals with two markers apiece. Perreault missed Game 6 with a lower-body injury and is questionable for the opener of this series. Boudreau also created a minor firestorm when he made future Hall of Famer Teemu Selanne a healthy scratch in Game 4. The move may have paid off, however, as the 43-year-old Finn, who is expected to retire after this season, posted two assists in Game 6 after notching just one helper over his first four games of the series. Brown, Jeff Carter, Anze Kopitar and Tyler Toffoli combined to score all seven goals for L.A. in the 2013-14 season series with the Ducks. Kopitar led the way with three markers and Brown added two. Perry paced the Ducks with two goals and two assists in the season series, but Getzlaf only had a goal and an assist over five games. 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Nowitzki had 21 points Tuesday night to pass Oscar Robertson for 10th on the NBAs career scoring list, leading the Mavs to a 95-83 victory over the Utah Jazz.UNIONDALE, N.Y. - Islanders captain John Tavares had the puck on his stick late in overtime, hesitated to force Washington defenceman Karl Alzner out of position, then whipped the puck past goaltender Braden Holtby as New York won another nail-biter.When I got it there, I had a good feeling their defence was in a tough spot, said Tavares, who heard chants of MVP, MVP from the sellout crowd of 16,170 at Nassau Coliseum. I kind of froze them and created an angle. It felt good to see it go in.The 3-2 victory Wednesday night over the Capitals was the fifth straight for the Islanders and moved them to 16-6-0. Theyve won 10 of 11 to tie Pittsburgh for first place in the Metropolitan Division, though the Penguins have a game in hand.The goal was the ninth this season for Tavares, set up on a cross-ice feed from Ryan Strome. It came at 4:36 with two seconds left on a penalty to Washingtons Nicklas Backstrom for holding the stick.Tavares was mobbed by teammates as roars cascaded down from the rafters. New York is 8-2-0 at home thus far in their final season on Long Island before moving to Brooklyn in 2015.The Islanders also won for the seventh time in extra time — twice in overtime. Coach Jack Capuano had a hard time explaining why his team is perfect past regulation — though five of the victories are in shootouts.New York had all five shots in overtime.All I can say is that guys want the puck on their sticks in those stages of the game, he said.The Islanders have set a franchise record by winning 16 of their first 22 games.Jaroslav Halak made 25 saves for his eighth straight win. He has allowed only 10 goals in those eight wins.Everyone has played well for us, added Tavares, who leads the team with 21 points. At any point in time, any guy can step up. And obviously Jaro is playing great. We just want to keep it going.Anders Lee and Travis Hamonic scored first-period goals for the Islanders, while Alex Ovechkiin scored two power-play goals for the Capitals in his 700th NHL game.ddddddddddddWe played a great game, but they got a power play in overtime and that was the difference, Ovechkin said.New York is 10-2 in November. Last season the Islanders were 4-10-1 during the month and didnt win their 16th game until Jan. 7. The boisterous home crowd certainly provides a boost.We can all feel it on the bench, Capuano said. The energy is awesome.The Capitals (9-8-4) have been inconsistent under new coach Barry Trotz, the teams fourth coach in four seasons, and fell behind early.Lee opened the scoring at 5:11, tapping a rebound past Holtby for his fourth goal. Strome and Brock Nelson assisted.Ovechkin tied the game at 1-1 at 13:46 of the first on a one-timer from the left circle for his 10th of the season. He scored again at 18:47 of the second to tie the game again after Lee received an extra two minutes for roughing during a fight with Washingtons Tom Wilson. The goal was the 433rd for the Russian forward.Hamonic had given New York a 2-1 lead at 17:38 of the first with a power-play goal off assists from Cal Clutterbuck and Casey Cizikas. The Islanders have 12 goals from their defence this season. They had 23 goals from the defence all of last season.The Islanders, coming off a 1-0 home shootout win over Philadelphia on Monday, improved to 8-1 against Metropolitan Division opponents and are 10-1-0 in games decided by a single goal.The teams complete a home-and-home series in Washington on Friday.I think the next game will be different for them and for us as well, Ovechkin said.NOTES: Islanders defencemen Thomas Hickey and Calvin de Haan returned after one-game absences because of illness. . New York scratched reserve defencemen Matt Donovan and Brian Strait plus forward Cory Conacher. . The Capitals scratched injured defenceman Mike Green (upper body) and forwards Brooks Laich and Michael Latta.