Forsberg scored his fifth playoff goal at 7:59 for a 3-2 Nashville edge, but Kase tied it again with his first postseason goal at 10:41 of the second. Johansen drew assists on the first two goals in Game 1, a 3-2 overtime win for the Predators, and has 13 points in their 12 playoff games.
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Nashville Predators’ Ryan Johansen (92) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Anaheim Ducks during the first period of Game 2 of the Western Conference final in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs, Sunday, May 14, 2017, . For a fleeting moment two minutes into the game, the overhead scoreboards listed the Ducks as having 99 shots on goal instead of the one they actually had at that point. The night the Predators came back from a third period deficit to reclaim a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference Final.
The Predators opened Game 2 on Sunday night the same way, scoring the first two goals of the game from Ryan Johansen and Neal. It just doesn’t make sense how he plays the game. It’s not something they have had to do often, but when they are down a goal, the Preds have a 59.8% shot attempt for percentage. Ritchie, who had scored the series-clinching victor against the Oilers, then gave the Ducks their first lead of the series on an eye-level slap shot that Rinne seemed to duck his head on.
“Like his family and his friends watching him play, I don’t know how you cheer for a guy like that”.
Allowing four goals and an empty-netter shouldn’t be that big a deal. “We have to clean up. puck management and turning pucks over”, Blashill said. Forsberg collected a rebound and fired a short-sided shot from below the left face-off circle to beat Anaheim netminder John Gibson. I got a chance to hang out, actually, one of the UFC Fights, the Fight Night that was here in Nashville, hanging out with James Neal and P.K. Subban, who are both just great guys.
It had been that kind of series for Rinne, who had uncharacteristically struggled in Game 2, allowing four or more goals for the first time in the playoffs.
“Nashville” could not bring matters to a comeback in the final period, if not the goalkeeper of “Anaheim” Gibson, who had 40 times to enter the game.
But Rinne and his teammates should get a boost from returning to Bridgestone Arena, where they have won all five postseason games this spring by a combined score of 15-6.
The Anaheim Ducks look to regain home ice advantage and take a solid 2-1 series lead with a victory here.
One would expect a more aggressive Anaheim attack in Game 4, even with that contest in Nashville. Taking the puck wide, Perry banked a shot off Pekka Rinne to give the Ducks a 1-0 lead.
Nick Ritchie broke a 3-3 tie late in the second period on an assist from Ryan Getzlaf, who set up three goals. It was only fitting that Anaheim pulled off another improbable victory, after doing so in the first two rounds, erasing three-goal leads in games against Calgary and Edmonton. The Chicago Blackhawks were unable to disrupt the Predators during their first-round sweep, and St. Louis won twice on home ice by drawing penalties in a series the Predators finished in six games. Antoine Vermette added an empty-net goal in the final minute to give the Ducks a 5-3 win and even the series at one. Nashville RW Craig Smith missed his third straight game due to an undisclosed injury.
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“We’re looking for that next play instead of putting pucks at the net”, Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said.
