Ducks at Predators
The Nashville Predators flew home last week in control of their first-round playoff series and looking to push the Anaheim Ducks to the brink of elimination. Three straight losses later, the Predators returned home with a far different agenda - needing a victory Monday night to keep their season going as they prepare to host the Ducks in Game 6.
Since dropping a pair of one-goal decisions at home, Anaheim has outscored Nashville 12-3 to seize a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. "Just like our season," Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf said. "We started off terrible and then got good. It's a race to four and we still have to win another game. But I don't think there's a single guy in this room that didn't think we'd be in this position." The No. 7 seed Predators also didn't expect to be in this position after taking their first two-game series lead in franchise history - on the road no less - before dropping three in a row to the Pacific Division champions. "It's do or die," Nashville center Ryan Johansen said. "It's about finding a way to get it in the net and keeping them from scoring. We have to throw them everything we've got."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, CNBC, Sportsnet, TVAS
ABOUT THE DUCKS: Every move seems to be working for Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau, including the surprise top-line promotion of Ryan Garbutt, who put his team ahead to stay in Game 5 with a second-period goal that accounted for his first point of the series. "He's as good a forechecker as we have, he's responsible defensively, and if people take liberties, he's not afraid to mix it up," Boudreau said of the decision to pair Garbutt with Getzlaf and David Perron. "I just thought it was a good fit." Frederik Andersen has been spectacular since taking over for John Gibson in net, turning aside 84-of-87 shots for a .966 save percentage.
ABOUT THE PREDATORS: Forward Craig Smith, who finished third on the team with 21 goals, has essentially missed three contests after suffering a lower-body injury in the opening minutes of Game 3, but he was back at practice Sunday and remains listed as day-to-day. Nashville must find a way to solve Anaheim's penalty-killing unit, which ranked No. 1 during the regular season and has snuffed out 14 straight power-play chances over the past three games and 21-of-22 in the series. The Predators led the league with 55 goals from their defensemen but have managed only a pair of assists from captain Shea Weber in the past three games.
OVERTIME
1. Anaheim carried a 3-2 lead into a Game 6 on the road in each of the past three postseasons and lost all three series.
2. Predators F Filip Forsberg, who led the team in goals (33) and points (64), has been held off the scoreless in the last three games.
3. Andersen has endured one regulation loss (20-1-2) in his last 25 appearances.