What the Predators have done this series isn’t half bad for a first wildcard. In fact, it wouldn’t be half bad for any team, in any position. To face arguably the hottest team coming into the playoffs in Anaheim, who had recently rediscovered their scoring groove, and force them to take you to seven games with a chance to beat them yourselves… all props go to Nashville.
When Nashville traded for Ryan Johanson, they added a piece of the puzzle they had needed for years in a true first line center. It also allowed the Predators some depth in the middle, and they moved Mike Ribeiro to the second line. They traded a young defenseman in Seth Jones, but let’s face it… they didn’t exactly need a young defenseman, with Roman Josi and Shea Weber being maybe the greatest defensive pairing in the league. They did need offense, and that is something that Johanson has added to the team since joining.
The Ducks have played well this series, that is not to be doubted. After switching from John Gibson, a good young goaltender, to Frederick Anderson, another good young goaltender but with more playoff experience – he helped lead the Ducks to the Western Conference Finals last year – has helped the Ducks defensively, and provided a key spark after the Predators took both of the Ducks first home games. Anderson came in and got a shutout in his first game and only allowed one goal in his second. The Ducks obliterated the Predators by three goals in their first three games after Anderson stepped in.
This makes the Predators’ surprising 3-1 victory last night that much more impressive. The Predators were able to figure out the Ducks and get their first win at home in this series. The Predators defensively minded strategy worked, with Pekka Rinne successfully facing the pressure and Shea Weber and Roman Josi leading the way. The Predators got goals from James Neal, Weber, and Mattias Ekholm, while the only Duck to answer was Ryan Kesler.
After a scoreless first period, the Predators scored first, eight minutes into the second. After a long stand still, the Predators scored again and the Ducks answered almost exactly two minutes later. The Predators added a goal with ten seconds left to secure the victory. The Ducks were successful on the Power Play, with Kesler’s strike hitting the net with an extra man. Stats seemingly didn’t matter this game, as the Predators were outshot, out face offed, and gave away more pucks. But they played better defense, and that’s where it matters in the playoffs. They had ten more blocked shots than the Ducks, and out hit their opponent.
This all leads to an exciting game 7 to round out a great first round of the playoffs. The Ducks and Predators are both playing to win, and it makes the lead up to their next game that much more exciting. The winner will play the San Jose Sharks, who, while hot themselves, will need to watch game 7 carefully to see what they can learn to prepare for their next series. The winner of game 7 won’t be as rested, but they will enter with momentum.