Ducks rally for shootout victory over Predators
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Patrick Eaves scored in the fifth shootout round as the Anaheim Ducks rallied for a 4-3 victory over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night at the Honda Center.
Ryan Getzlaf had a goal and two assists for the Ducks (34-22-10), who moved into a second-place tie with the Edmonton Oilers in the Pacific Division. Nick Ritchie and Rickard Rakell also scored, Cam Fowler added two assists and goalie Jonathan Bernier made 24 saves.
Filip Forsberg, Colin Wilson and Ryan Ellis scored for the Predators (32-24-10), who received two assists from Calle Jarnkrok and 39 saves from goalie Pekka Rinne.
Eaves, who converted his only previous shootout opportunity earlier this season for the Dallas Stars, converted a rising wrist shot into the upper-left corner. Bernier then used his right leg pad to block Ryan Johansen's backhand to secure the victory.
Nashville scored twice within two minutes early in the first period to build a 2-0 lead. Wilson began the scoring with his fifth goal in the past 10 games and his 12th of the season.
Mattias Ekholm started the sequence by deflecting Andrew Cogliano's pass to Ryan Kesler. Jarnkrok secured the loose puck in the neutral zone and dropped a pass to James Neal near the right boards.
As Cogliano checked him from behind, Neal passed to Wilson while falling forward, and Wilson converted a backhand in front of the crease 4:26 into the first period.
Then at 6:23, Ellis celebrated his return to the lineup by one-timing a slap shot from the left point on a power play for this 12th goal. Ellis missed one game after injuring his right leg Thursday night against the Montreal Canadiens.
Bernier conceded both goals on four shots.
Anaheim used a power-play goal with 5:44 left in the period to draw within 2-1. Sami Vatanen's slap shot just inside the blue line deflected off Rinne's glove to Getzlaf, who swept the rebound home for his 12th goal.
The Predators extended their lead to 3-1 with a short-handed goal at 11:29 of the second period. Jarnkrok secured a puck that rolled off the stick of Fowler and passed to Forsberg, who scored his team-leading 27th goal on a wrist shot from the top of the left circle.
Ritchie and Rakell enabled the Ducks to nullify a 3-1 deficit by scoring in the final seven minutes of the second period. At 13:19, Ritchie pounced on the rebound of Getzlaf's slap shot from the top of the slot and converted inside the right post.
Then with 57.3 seconds left in the period, Rakell's team-leading 27th goal tied the score. Patrick Eaves corralled the rebound of another slap shot from Getzlaf and passed to Rakell, whose wrist shot deflected off the Predators' Vernon Fiddler into the net.
NOTES: Nashville scratched D Anthony Bitetto, LW Kevin Fiala, D Brad Hunt, RW P.A Parenteau and C Colton Sissons. ... Predators LW Filip Forsberg needs three assists for 100 in his career. ... Predators C Ryan Johansen needs three goals for 100 in his career. ... Anaheim scratched G John Gibson, D Korbinian Holzer, RW Ondrej Kase and C Antoine Vermette. ... Ducks LW Andrew Cogliano played in his 770th consecutive game. If he plays in the next seven, Cogliano will pass Craig Ramsay and move into fourth place among the NHL's career leaders in successive appearances. ... Ducks coach Randy Carlyle needs three victories to reach 400 in his career.