ABOUT THE DUCKS (6-8-4): Captain Ryan Getzlaf was probably wondering if he would ever score again before clinching Monday’s victory with an empty-netter – is first goal of the season.
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“It’s a huge two points”, Rinne said. The Predators went 1-for-6 – defenseman Shea Weber bombed a slapper past Andersen to initiate scoring at 9:33 of the first period – and Anaheim went 0-for-5. Weber’s sixth tally of the campaign came off a Roman Josi feed, the 100th assist of Josi’s career.
“Anything can happen when you put it on the net obviously, but that was just a lucky one”, Neal said.
Miikka Salomaki gave the Preds a two-goal lead with a masterful tip of Mattias Ekholm’s shot from the left wall at 6:13 of the second period.
In the first period between the Nashville Predators and the Anaheim Ducks, Bieksa and Fisher were jabbing at each other with their sticks. “I like that we were sacrificing our bodies to block shots, but it also tells me we spent too much time in the defensive zone”.
The Anaheim Ducks are set to begin a four game east coast road trip tonight in Carolina before heading to Nashville tomorrow night.
But goalie Pekka Rinne simply stole two points by making 38 saves, including 19 in a frenetic second period, as Nashville eked out a 3-2 win at sold-out Bridgestone Arena. Nashville dominated Winnipeg 7-0 on Saturday, improving to 2-1-1 on its five-game homestand, and a tweak to the top two lines by coach Peter Laviolette seemed to spark the Predators. Rinne stopped breakaways by Carl Hagelin and Andrew Cogliano in the second and foiled rookie Nick Ritchie’s point-blank try for a tie in the third. Santorelli was there to bang home the rebound to give the Ducks hope, but even with a power play Anaheim couldn’t find a way to knock the leveling goal past Rinne.
“Key moment of the game for sure”, Rinne said.
Rinne has now allowed two goals or less in 10 of his 15 appearances this season, and although his teammates would prefer that Rinne not have to be so spectacular throughout the game, they certainly appreciate what he does in the blue paint.
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“It was all him tonight”, Fisher said of his netminder.
