Ducks at Predators
The Anaheim Ducks have picked up the pieces following a season-opening four-game skid to make a charge up the Pacific Division standings. Riding a four-game point streak (3-0-1) and 7-2-2 mark in their last 11, the Ducks look to complete a successful three-game road trip in style on Saturday against the Nashville Predators.
Jakob Silfverberg scored twice, recorded a career high-tying four-point performance and posted a personal-best plus-4 rating in a 4-2 victory over Calgary on Thursday. The point total doubled the sum of the 26-year-old Swede's previous six games, which immediately followed his two-goal performance in Anaheim's 6-1 rout of Nashville on Oct. 26. Like the Ducks, the Predators also limped out of the gate before righting the ship in November, piecing together a five-game point stretch (3-0-2) while emerging victorious in their last two for their first winning streak of the season. Versatile Calle Jarnkrok matched a career high with two goals in Thursday's 3-1 victory over St. Louis, doubling his season-long point production in the process.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN West (Anaheim), FSN Tennessee (Nashville)
ABOUT THE DUCKS (7-5-3): Captain Ryan Getzlaf notched his 532nd assist on Thursday to pass the legendary Teemu Selanne for the most in franchise history. "Teemu has been such a mentor to all of us," the 31-year-old Getzlaf told the Orange County Register. "This means a lot because I played with 'T' for so long and learned so much from him." Getzlaf missed the initial meeting with Nashville due to an upper-body injury, but has collected 37 points (11 goals, 26 assists) in 34 career encounters.
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (5-5-3): James Neal limped out of the box with just one assist in his first seven games before scoring four goals and setting up three others in his last six. The 29-year-old extended his goal-scoring streak to three straight games on Thursday, but is doing that on an economical eight shots on goal. Goaltender Pekka Rinne has stopped 56-of-58 shots to win back-to-back contests and looks to atone for his season-worst start when he yielded four goals on 17 shots before getting the hook in the second period against Anaheim.
OVERTIME
1. Anaheim G John Gibson has stopped 53-of-56 shots en route to winning both career encounters versus Nashville.
2. The Predators yielded three power-play goals in last month's meeting, but are a perfect 14-for-14 on the penalty kill in November.
3. The Ducks own a 7-1-0 mark when scoring the first goal of the game.