The Anaheim Ducks managed to even up the series to steal back home-ice advantage. Game 5 is tonight in the Honda Center, but the Predators will be without one of their best players. Let’s take a look at tonight’s Western Conference Final predictions.
| Predators vs Ducks ML +105 / -125 O/U 5 |
Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.
It took extra time and it was not all pretty, but the Anaheim Ducks managed to recapture home-ice and tie up the Western Conference Final.
While it was Nashville dictating the pace of play for the most part in Game 3, the Anaheim Ducks put the pedal to the metal early in Game 4. The Ducks threw everything they could towards Pekka Rinne, and were rewarded for their efforts. Anaheim caught the Predators in a full line change, and Cam Fowler wired a stretch pass up ice to Rickard Rakell. As a defender bore down on Rakell as he entered the zone with open space in front of him, Rakell rifled a slap shot past Rinne to give the Ducks an early 1-0 lead. It was, in all honesty, a poor goal for Rinne to give up- clear sight and short side.
The goal was Rakell’s seventh of the postseason. Anaheim finished with 14 first period shots to Nashville’s two.
Peter Laviolette coaxed his team into significantly better hockey in the second period, but it still was not enough to break through the tough Duck defense. Midway through the period, Nick Ritchie roofed a wrister on an odd-man rush to give the Ducks a 2-0 lead. Rinne was partially screened by the body of Roman Josi, but was still beaten short side again because of his read on the angle.
Ritchie goal. He does a great job using Josi as a screen, and then getting it through. Looks like it hits Josi's shin and changes direction. pic.twitter.com/tMRaOKsDjm
— Paul Campbell (@WayToGoPaul) May 19, 2017
Though it was a stronger period (Nashville outshot Anaheim 18-12 in the second) the Preds still found themselves trailing 2-0.
Nashville got their biggest chance to climb back into the hockey game with a late powerplay thanks to a tripping call on Ondrej Kase. In one particular sequence 1:30 into the man advantage, Ryan Ellis hit the side of the net, Filip Forsberg hit the post, then Mike Fisher hit the post on the rebound. It might have been one of the least fortunate flurries of the entire season.
Just as the penalty expired, the Predators finally broke through. A point shot by P.K. Subban had eyes and snuck by Pekka Rinne off the left post and in. It took 29 shots to finally snap the shutout by John Gibson.
Time ticked away in the third period and though the Predators were buzzing, they still were trailing with a minute to go. They sent Rinne to the bench. James Neal’s shot from the right-wing circle was blocked and landed behind the net. No one could locate the airborne puck except for Viktor Arvidsson. Arvidsson hit Filip Forsberg with the pass and Forsberg stuffed it home. With 34.5 remaining, Nashville had tied it up.
The ironic thing is that Arvidsson had almost started jostling and talking with Hampus Lindholm of the Ducks thinking the puck deflected out of play. Had a voice not called out indicating play was still continuing, Arvidsson would have been out of position.
It was a long time coming for Anaheim, who did everything they could to allow the Preds back into the game. They eased off the throttle in the third period offensively and took four different penalties in the final frame, including that resulted in almost a 1:30 of a 5-on-3.
Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Rickard Rakell were a headache in overtime. Any time that trio is on the ice there is reason to hold your breath. After a few crushingly close calls, Corey Perry lucked out with an overtime winner from the corner. Perry threw the puck towards the net and had the puck ricochet off the stick of P.K. Subban and into the net. Nate Thompson was in front of the net but never touched it.
https://twitter.com/joecrispinoIII/status/865514851908542464
The arena went silent. The Ducks won Game 4 with a 3-2 final.
Perry got credit for the goal, his third overtime winner this postseason and fourth of his career. It was his eighth career postseason game-winning goal, tying Teemu Selanne for the most in franchise history.
There are two totally different ways of looking at this game. From a Duck fan’s perspective, this was a near-miss that could have been one of the worst losses in recent history. I don’t have a number to back me up, but it certainly does feel like more often than not, the team that ties it late- let’s say 120 seconds or fewer in regulation- seems to carry that momentum into the overtime period and win the game. It happened in Game 2 of the Montreal-New York series, then a couple more times in the Rangers’ series with Ottawa. Pittsburgh did lose in overtime to the Capitals after rallying in the last few minutes down 2-0, though.
It’s not an exact science, but it seems to be a prevalent narrative in the playoffs.
So as a Duck fan, you take your lumps in regards to the third and applaud the effort in the first 40 minutes of the game and the 10 minutes of overtime.
This is a crushing blow to a Preds fan. For the same reason this would have been a devastating loss for Anaheim, it would have been an all-timer in Nashville lore. But alas, it was not meant to be.
And now, they will have to go it without Ryan Johansen.
Whatever “keep calm, it’s still tied 2-2 in the series” thoughts were emanating from the Bridgestone Arena Thursday night have surely been shot to hell by now. Ryan Johansen, the team’s top center, will miss the remainder of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a thigh injury.
Now that is a devastating loss. Johansen was leading the team with 10 assists and 13 points through 14 playoff games.
The Predators’ other centers have not exactly brought the same kind of production to the table.
Without Johansen, the Predators’ current top-six centers (Fisher, Jarnkrok) have 2 points in 27 combined appearances this postseason. Yikes.
— SB Nation NHL (@SBNation_NHL) May 20, 2017
Mike Fisher is also doubtful for Game 5, as he left the previous game with an eye injury.
Considering Johansen, one of the most important cogs of the ever-dominant JOFA line, is going to be out tonight and the remainder of the year, I find it surprising the line is as even as it is. A -125 for the Ducks on home ice is pretty cheap.
I would let that ride.
Anaheim’s defense was incredibly strong early in the game. If not for a last-five-minute-meltdown, the Ducks would have come away with a much easier win. Cam Fowler was remarkably strong, and Kevin Bieksa had a successful return to the lineup. Brandon Montour is quietly making a name for himself as one of the steadiest defensemen on the Ducks’ roster. It was a good showing up and down the lineup.
Even John Gibson played quite well.
Expect to see more minutes out of Colton Sissons in the top six for the Predators, as well as some extra time for Calle Jarnkrok and Austin Watson.
Also expect to see much fewer scoring chances for Nashville tonight as they adjust to their new-look lines.
Poor Ryan Kesler, he won’t have an adversary to target tonight. Guess the NBC is going to need to find a new lead story for tonight.
Prediction: Take the Ducks to win. Play the under.
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