Rinne carries Predators to shutout win over Ducks
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- James Neal continues to score goals and Pekka Rinne continues to prevent them.
Neal tallied twice Saturday night, giving him five in the last four games, and Rinne stopped 27 shots for his 41st career shutout as the Nashville Predators routed the Anaheim Ducks 5-0 at sold-out Bridgestone Arena.
In upping their record to 6-5-3, Nashville recorded a point in its sixth straight match, going 4-0-2 over that span. It blew the game open with three goals in a 4:11 span late in the second period, including one while it was killing Anaheim's fifth power play of the night.
Neal finished the barrage at 6:06 of the third period with a rebound marker for his sixth goal of the season. The goal was the Predators' first on the power play in their last 22 chances.
It was the first shutout of the season for Rinne (5-4-3), who has allowed just seven goals in the last six games. Rinne kept Nashville from falling behind by a goal or two in the first period with 12 saves, some of the tough variety.
It was the first regulation loss in five games for the Ducks (7-6-3). John Gibson (5-5-3) allowed four goals on 18 shots before being pulled for Jonathan Bernier late in the second period. Bernier stopped eight of nine shots.
After being outplayed for most of the first period, Nashville initiated scoring at 19:57 when Ryan Ellis buried Filip Forsberg's behind-the-net feed from the slot for his second goal of the season.
Anaheim had four power-play chances in the second period but failed to convert any of them, including a double-minor on P.K. Subban after he high-sticked Corey Perry and drew blood. It came back to haunt the Ducks as the Predators exploded late in the period.
Neal made it 2-0 at 12:49 with his fifth goal of the season, taking Viktor Arvidsson's faceoff win and wristing a screened shot off Gibson. It was the fourth straight game in which Neal has lit the lamp.
Colton Sissons made it 3-0 with a short-handed goal at 15:53, roofing a wrister off Arvidsson's pass from behind the net for his first goal of the season.
Forsberg ended Gibson's night at 17:00 by breaking his 13-game drought without a goal, ripping a wrister after Ryan Johansen's setup into the slot for his first goal of the year.
NOTES: Anaheim C Ryan Getzlaf played in his 800th NHL game. ... Nashville LW Pontus Aberg logged his first NHL point on Thursday night with the secondary assist on James Neal's tiebreaking goal in the third period. Aberg was scratched Saturday in favor of C Cody Bass. ... Anaheim scratches were D Korbinian Holzer and C Chris Wagner, who dressed for the team's first 15 games. ... The Predators also scratched D Matt Carle.