The set-up: One thing is for sure against Anaheim, NO lead is safe. Anaheim erased an early two-goal deficit to avoid falling into a 2-0 series hole Sunday night, following a pattern that saw it storm back from three goals down against Calgary and Edmonton in the first two rounds of the playoffs. The Ducks scored four goals in about 19 minutes on Sunday to take a 4-3 lead into the third period. A late empty-netter made the final 5-3. Now it's on to Nashville, where the Ducks will need to win at least once, to earn back the home ice edge. The problem being, that the Predators are a perfect 5-0 this postseason at Bridgestone Arena.

Anaheim: I wish we didn't get down in the first place," Ducks forward Rickard Rakell said. "It's almost like we feel, 'Oh, we've got nothing to lose now.' It's almost like that's when we play our best game. Maybe sometimes we shouldn't wait for that to get going." Anaheim head coach Randy Carlyle made a calculated gamble in Game 2 when, with his team trailing by two goals, he shuffled his lines and replaced Corey Perry with rookie Ondrej Kase on the No. 1 unit with captain Ryan Getzlaf and Nick Ritchie. Kase scored the tying goal in the second period -- his first of the playoffs -- as part of a huge night for that line that saw Getzlaf collect three assists and Ritchie score the decisive tally, his second-game winner in three contests. Getzlaf has scored 18 points in the postseason, second to Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin. Now Carlyle needs to "wave his magic wand" once again.

Ottawa: The Predators allowed more than three goals in this postseason for the first time in Sunday's 5-3 setback. Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne had been great up until Sunday, when he had a very shaky performance. "Now we're heading home and have another opportunity at home," he said following Game 2. "That's the best part of it." There is a "game within a game" developing between Nashville's Ryan Johansen and Anaheim's Ryan Kesler, with the Predators' top line center bristling at what he considers suspect tactics by his counterpart. That aside, Johansen scored one goal and set up another Sunday to give him 13 points, tying for the most in franchise postseason history.

The pick: If any goalie deserves a 'mulligan' this postseason, it's Nashville's Pekka Rinne. He entered Sunday's game having allowed just 1.41 GPG with a save percentage of .950 in 11 playoff games. He'll be on home ice tonight, where he's turned aside 141 of 147 shots for a .959 save percentage in leading Nashville to a 5-0 record. Let me add that since back-to-back defeats against Anaheim a year ago here at home, the Predators have won nine straight playoff games at Bridgestone Arena. Make Nashville a 10* play.