Kings, Ducks Focusing on Their Goals

1A and 1B.

This is how Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle refers to his two goaltenders. By name, they are Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Ilya Bryzgalov.

Carlyle, however, won’t say which is 1A and which is 1B, as if protecting secrets for the CIA.

Want to know who’s going to start in tonight’s regular-season opener against the Kings? You’ll have to come to the pregame warmup.

“I always make that decision very vague to you guys,” Carlyle told reporters. “We have confidence in both of our goalies. What we’re looking for is competition for the position and somebody to separate themselves.”

And there lies the battle. The proven veteran in Giguere and the heir apparent in Bryzgalov.

It is a competition borne not out of animosity but of quality and competitiveness. Both goalies make it clear they want top billing and neither did anything to hurt his case in the exhibition season.

Indications are, however, that the net is Giguere’s to lose. For the moment.

“I like the fact that we’ve got two guys who have established they can play in this league,” General Manager Brian Burke said. “Most teams have one guy and a guy they hope can play 20 games.

“We’ve got $5 million tied up in cap room at the goalie position. Lots of teams have that. We have two guys. They’ll sort it out.”

Neither player sees this as a duel, or so they said.

“I don’t compete against Bryz,” Giguere said. “He’s my teammate. I want him to be successful, as I want to be successful. I compete against the puck. That’s who my enemy is and who I’m going to try to beat.”

Bryzgalov agreed. Giguere is not the competition.

“I don’t think like that,” he said. “I just do my job. I just try to give my best effort.”

Based on Giguere’s history that included the magical, career-defining 2003 playoffs, he was the clear No. 1 last season and played in 60 games. But his persistent leg injuries allowed then-rookie Bryzgalov to establish himself with a 13-12-1 record and a strong 2.51 goals-against average.

Then came the first round of the playoffs. On April 29, in Game 5 against Calgary, Bryzgalov took over for a hobbled Giguere and ran off a scoreless streak of 249 minutes, 15 seconds -- the second-longest in NHL postseason history -- before faltering in the Western Conference finals against Edmonton.

While the gregarious Bryzgalov embraced the spotlight, Giguere became a forgotten man. The veteran handled the situation with grace, and his teammates noticed.

“That’s the thing about Jiggy,” forward Rob Niedermayer said. “He didn’t let it become a problem. Even when they put in Bryz, he wasn’t a distraction. He stayed positive, showed up to practice and worked hard. That’s what makes him such a good teammate.”

Bryzgalov’s ascent appeared to make Giguere expendable, but teams seeking a net upgrade were unwilling to take on his $3.99-million salary. With groin and hamstring problems now in the past, Giguere knows this season is critical going into the final year of his contract.

“I wouldn’t lie to you and say it isn’t an important year,” Giguere said. “It’s important for a lot of reasons. Not just contract-wise. You want to do well for yourself and you want to try to showcase yourself as much as possible, either for this team or someone else.”

For all his troubles last season, Giguere still compiled a 30-15-11 record and a .911 save percentage. And now he has Chris Pronger as well as Scott Niedermayer leading the defense.

“It’s going to be fun to be part of this,” Giguere said. “Quite frankly, having the defense we have here, I’d be crazy not to want to be here.”

Then there is Bryzgalov, who wants to show he can handle the job over the long haul. “I want to be a No. 1 goalie,” he said. “It doesn’t matter where or how. I want to play. That’s normal.”

To the players, Giguere vs. Bryzgalov is much ado about nothing.

“I know the media wants to make it a goaltending issue,” defenseman Sean O’Donnell said. “Really, the only issue is who’s going to play. It’s not an issue of what kind of goaltending we’re going to get. I think the guys are confident that we’re going to get good goaltending.

“Right now, it’s just who’s going to be the one in the first game. Maybe they’ll alternate. Who knows? There’s worse problems to have.”

The Ducks play 15 of their first 22 games at home. By then, it may be clear who is 1A and who is 1B.

Carlyle intends to make the decision simple.

“If you win, you’re in,” he said.

*

The stomach flu claimed Pronger for a second day but the defenseman said he would play tonight. He was improved enough to joke about not catching the flu that ravaged his old team, the Edmonton Oilers, during the playoffs last season.

“Delayed reaction,” he said with a laugh.

eric.stephens@latimes.com