Gaudreau led Calgary with 61 points (18 goals, 43 assists) during the regular season but has no points in four consecutive games dating to the regular season, matching his longest stretch since the first five games of the 2014-15 season.
Three of the Flames' past four opponents have been Anaheim (twice) and the Los Angeles Kings, two teams that led the League in hits. Gaudreau (5-foot-9, 157 pounds) could be at a disadvantage with so little space to work and the tempo elevated for the playoffs.
Still, he and linemates Sean Monahan and Micheal Ferland had some prime scoring opportunities in Game 1, but only Monahan scored, with an early power-play goal.
"When we get our scoring chances, we've got to find the net," Gaudreau said.