Predators at Ducks
Nashville and Anaheim appear to be playoff bound despite shaky play of late as the Predators kick off a three-game California swing by visiting the Ducks on Tuesday. Anaheim alternated regulation wins and losses in its last 10 contests after Sunday's 2-1 setback to Vancouver while Nashville rides a two-game losing streak - 2-1 in Montreal on Thursday on a goal with nine seconds to play and 5-3 to Chicago on Saturday after the tiebreaking score came with 1:05 left.
The Predators are third in the Central Division, four points clear of St. Louis and five ahead of ninth-place Los Angeles in the Western Conference while the Ducks sit third in the Pacific, eight points in front of the Kings. "As long as our group takes on the playoff mentality right now - learning from our mistakes and moving on - that's what playoff hockey is," Anaheim captain Ryan Getzlaf told reporters. "There are ups and downs. That's what we're in right now. We have to fight for a playoff spot." The Ducks' Patrick Eaves scored in the last two games - his second and third contests with Anaheim since coming over from Dallas prior to the trade deadline - while Nashville's Viktor Arvidsson (23 goals) continues his breakout season with five tallies in the last six games. The clubs traded a pair of blowout victories at home in the first two of three meetings this season with Anaheim prevailing 6-1 on Oct. 26 and the Predators returning the favor 5-0 on Nov. 12 as the Ducks' Jakob Silfverberg and Nashville's James Neal each scored twice in their respective wins.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Sportsnet One, Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet West, FSN Tennessee (Nashville), Prime Ticket (Anaheim)
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (32-24-9): Filip Forsberg (team-high 26 goals) hasn't scored in two games after tallying an eye-popping 10 times in five contests. Forsberg is second on the club with 50 points behind Ryan Johansen (51), who has 10 assists in his last seven games to bring his club-best total to 41. Defenseman Ryan Ellis (11 goals, 29 points, 24:09 ice time per game) missed Saturday's contest with a lower-body injury, but made the trip and was a full participant in Monday's practice.
ABOUT THE DUCKS (33-22-10): Getzlaf took over the team lead in points (49) after recording three goals and seven assists in his last nine games. Corey Perry (11 goals) continues the most frustrating season of his career as the former Hart Trophy winner and author of 341 goals hasn't scored in nine games after already enduring droughts of 18 and 13 contests in 2016-17. Goaltender John Gibson (23-15-8, 2.24 goals-against average, .922 save percentage) missed the last four games because of a muscle strain with backup Jonathan Bernier going 2-2-0 with a .921 SP during that span.
OVERTIME
1. Nashville F P.A. Parenteau (13 goals, 27 points), acquired prior to the trade deadline from New Jersey, has yet to make his Predators debut after suffering a finger injury Feb. 25 while still playing with the Devils.
2. Anaheim F Rickard Rakell (team-high 26 goals) scored twice in each of the last two Ducks' victories.
3. Nashville won its last five games when allowing five or more goals in the previous contest while Anaheim lost its last nine after a game in which it yielded two or fewer goals.