Predators at Ducks
The Nashville Predators have been hitting quite a few sour notes away from Music City this season, but they sure struck the right chord against the Anaheim Ducks in last season's Western Conference final. The Predators aim to prevent their sixth loss in eight road contests on Friday when they visit the Anaheim Ducks in a rematch of last season's Western Conference final.
Although Nashville skated past Anaheim in six games to its first Stanley Cup appearance several months ago, it fell for the fourth time in five outings on Wednesday after dropping the opener of a four-game trek with a 4-1 setback in San Jose. "We continue to shoot ourselves in the foot with the penalties," said coach Peter Laviolette, who saw his team permit eight power-play opportunities to the Sharks and at least four to the opposition in all but one game this season. Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle lamented his team's performance with the man advantage as its 31st-ranked power play failed to pay dividends for the third time in four games during Wednesday's 3-1 setback to Toronto. "Our power play's got to deliver more," Carlyle told the Orange County Register. "We need more offense from our power play. When you got four opportunities, you've got to come home with something."
TV: 10 p.m. ET, FSN Tennessee (Nashville), Prime Ticket (Anaheim)
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (5-5-2): Filip Forsberg, who leads the team in goals (eight) and points (13) this season, shredded the Ducks with five tallies and two assists as Nashville won the Western Conference final last spring. The 23-year-old Swede resides one goal shy of 100 for his career for the Predators, who have mustered just nine tallies during their last five games. Pekka Rinne had been stellar in his previous six outings with just seven goals allowed on 191 shots before surrendering all four tallies versus San Jose.
ABOUT THE DUCKS (6-5-1): Ondrej Kase scored for the second straight outing, albeit with a fortunate carom off Maple Leafs defenseman Andreas Borgman during the first period. Rickard Rakell was denied his team-leading sixth goal when he hit the crossbar on Wednesday, but the 24-year-old Swede will look to regain his scoring touch versus the Predators - against whom he recorded a point in three of four games in last season's Western Conference final. Corey Perry has been limited to just one point - an assist - in his last four outings overall, but he scored twice in last spring's playoff series versus Nashville.
OVERTIME
1. Anaheim G John Gibson has dropped four of seven decisions at home (3-3-1) despite posting a .927 save percentage.
2. Nashville C Ryan Johansen is in the midst of his second three-game point drought over his last eight contests.
3. Ducks LW Jakob Silfverberg scored twice in three regular-season meetings last season with the Predators and two more times in the playoff series.