The Conference Finals are already heating up with a pair of overtime games. Can the Nashville Predators take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Final?
| Predators vs Ducks ML +100 / -120 O/U 5 |
Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.
The Anaheim Ducks were facing a tough challenge, having to come back from just one day of rest between their Game 7 nail-biter against the Edmonton Oilers and the opening game against a well-rested Predators team. From the get-go, the Ducks did not look entirely in-the-moment.
Action was discontinuous but Nashville dominated the opening five minutes. The Preds peppered John Gibson with shots, getting five to the net. But on the Ducks’ first real transition chance, they struck gold. A broken zone entrance led to a puck bouncing away from Jakob Silfverberg. With no one open and Roman Josi standing right in front of him, Silfverberg did the only thing he could do, fling the puck in the general vicinity of the net.
It found its way to the far-side corner over the blocker of Pekka Rinne. On their first shot, the Ducks had the lead.
Even though they had the lead, their footing was far from secure. Sloppy play continued throughout the period, and the Predators were finally able to make them pay. Nashville forced a turnover at the Anaheim blueline and broke into the zone. Ryan Johansen dropped the puck back to defenseman Matt Irwin, who had all the time and space in the world. Irwin wound up a low-percentage slap shot, hoping to cause some havoc with the heavy traffic in front of Gibson.
The shot somehow got through the body of Nick Ritchie, hit off the stick of Filip Forsberg in front and the game was tied.
Nashville would finish with 15 shots on goal to the Ducks’ six in the period.
At the first intermission, it seemed the Ducks were going to need the bounces to go their way to get their mojo back. As rotten luck would have it, the Predators broke into the zone on a 4-on-3. Johansen found Austin Watson with a cross-slot pass, and a one-timer hit of the backside of Anaheim defenseman Sami Vatanen and in.
Though Anaheim had two powerplay chances in the period, they were not able to get much going. An interference penalty towards the end of the frame shot holes in their momentum that they were starting to build.
Nashville led in goals 2-1 and shots 32-17 through two periods.
Anaheim would ramp up the pressure a bit in the third period. Pekka Rinne made a slew of impressive saves, including one on Ryan Getzlaf in front that required a full split.
Rinne denies Getzlaf with a great stretch pic.twitter.com/Gki6fwfu7E
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) May 13, 2017
It was Hampus Lindholm to finally break through and even up the score just moments after that save. A clean face-off win led to a Lindholm shot through traffic that Rinne never really saw. Pipe and in. Game tied.
Nashville failed to convert on a crucial 5-on-3 powerplay after not one, but two delay of game penalties were called on the Anaheim Ducks (how does that happen?). John Gibson stood on his head- literally, one of his best saves was with his head. Though the Predators were getting high-danger looks, it appeared as though they were just a half-second too late in pulling the trigger on some cases.
The Ducks nearly found the game-winner in the final minute of regulation. Jakob Silfverberg danced away from attacking defenders and a blocked shot led to Rinne being out of position. Rinne sprawled on his belly to close the netmouth and the puck was eventually cleared, but it was one of those instances where you could almost hear the collective city of Nashville screaming, “NOOOOOOO!”
In overtime, Mattias Ekholm danced around Corey Perry and all of a sudden had numbers down low in the Anaheim zone. He drove to the net where Gibson made a sprawling save. The diving effort knocked Gibson’s stick loose. There was a huge pileup in the crease, with the puck on P.K. Subban’s stick in the high slot. Subban wound up and sent a slap-pass to a wide open James Neal.
Game.
James Neal shoots it off Corey Perry and in for the game-winning goal in OT pic.twitter.com/Rl11pg3puL
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) May 13, 2017
Perry, who was burned leading up to the play, had the goal go off his shoulder and in. It’s unclear at that angle whether or not John Gibson would have gotten at least a mask on the shot. It kind of looks like he might have, but I can’t tell.
I personally love how Calle Jarnkrok and Colton Sissons have literally the exact same reaction when the puck goes in. They look like synchronized skaters.
Subban feeds Neal for Nashville’s game-winner in Game 1 pic.twitter.com/zdAz2zX6Pn
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) May 13, 2017
While this was not the Anaheim Ducks’ best game whatsoever, they still managed to take the game to extra time. Had they managed to effectively move the puck more on their powerplay chances, they might have come away victorious. They were 0-for-4 on the man advantage with four total shots on goal. Their overall attack while on the powerplay, however, was very stagnant.
It has been six games since the Ducks scored on the man advantage.
It was one of those games where Patrick Eaves’ presence would have helped them a great deal. If nothing else, his being back in the lineup would give Randy Carlyle reason to get Antoine Vermette off the ice. He was awful this game, as he is most games.
Nashville’s powerplay looked significantly better but garnered the same results. They were 0-for-5 with that key 5-on-3 passing them by. Their timing was just a smidge off.
Ryan Kesler had blocked a shot with his foot on the aforementioned three-man kill. While he missed a couple of shifts, he did eventually return to the game. He will play in Game 2.
John Gibson had undoubtedly his best game of the postseason, stopping 43 of 46 shots. Gibson has been very hot-and-cold lately, with his last series being stuck in freezer mode. But he looked sharp and came up big in Game 1.
Pekka Rinne was beaten by two perfect shots. He made 27 other saves in the game.
This was the first game of the postseason in which the Nashville Predators allowed double-digit high danger chances, according to NaturalStatTrick. Whereas Game 6 against the Blues featured nine high-danger chances total for both teams, this game featured 23. Nashville had 13, their most of the playoffs.
The Ducks lost the first two games of last series on home ice but made up for it with two terrific road performances. They best not put themselves in that same position.
With some time to recalibrate, expect a stronger performance out of the Ducks tonight. This group was understandably drained and were dominated in possession as a result. But even when not 100%, the team still managed to hang with Nashville.
I expect the Ducks to be more calibrated tonight. Nashville’s fresh legs advantage has been evened out.
Prediction: Take the Ducks to win. Play the over.
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