Ducks at Predators
Buoyed by raucous fans that raise the decibels to ear-splitting levels at Bridgestone Arena, the Nashville Predators look to remain golden on their home ice when they host the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night in Game 4 of the Western Conference final. Nashville is 6-0 in the postseason at Bridgestone and has won 10 consecutive playoff games at home.
Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis lauded the team's fans after No. 8 seed Nashville took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series with a 2-1 victory on Tuesday, scoring twice in the third period and overcoming a pair of apparent tiebreaking goals that were waved off. "Our fans, I really didn't think they could bring it to a new level, but I really thought they did tonight," Ellis told reporters. "We have our fans standing up the whole third period literally and cheering us on. It gives us that extra boost and that extra energy that we needed." Anaheim had evened the series with an impressive 5-3 victory in Game 2, but it was outshot by a 2-to-1 margin (40-20) and was unable to protect a third-period lead for the first time in six games this postseason. “Playoffs are a roller coaster,” veteran Ducks forward Corey Perry told reporters. “You got to try to stay even keel. ... What we did in Game 2 is kind of the game we want to play and that’s what we have to bring in Game 4.”
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, CBC, TVAS
ABOUT THE DUCKS: Perry, who was bumped off Anaheim's top line in Game 2, scored for only the second time in the past 11 contests on a bad-angle shot, but the Ducks were unable to generate sustained pressure and failed to notch a shot on goal in the final 11 minutes Tuesday. “You can’t score if you don’t get pucks towards the net with traffic and second opportunities,” Perry told reporters. “It’s something we’ve talked about, we’ve discussed and we got to do a better job.” Center Ryan Kesler has been superb on faceoffs, but he won 9 of 22 on Tuesday after going 27-18 in the first two games.
ABOUT THE PREDATORS: Nashville continues to receive stellar production from its blue-line corps, with Roman Josi delivering the decisive goal and Ellis adding an assist to boost their playoff totals to 10 points each - a franchise record for defensemen. Overall, the unit combined for more shots on goal (21) in Game 3 than the Ducks (20) did as a team, led by nine from Ellis - who failed to notch a shot in Game 2. Forward Filip Forsberg has scored in each game of the series, with Tuesday's tying tally in the third period boosting his playoff total to a team-leading six goals.
OVERTIME
1. Predators G Pekka Rinne has allowed seven goals in six home playoff games, including one in each of the past five.
2. Perry scored his 35th postseason goal, tying Teemu Selanne (35) for second place on the franchise's all-time list.
3. Nashville is the first team to win 10 straight postseason home games since the Detroit Red Wings (1997-98).