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(NHL) Nashville vs. Anaheim,
Money Line: 111.00 Nashville (Away)
Result: Win
Money Line: 111.00 Nashville (Away)
Result: Win
The set-up: Anaheim faced a "must win" situation in Game 4 of this series and took a 2-0 lead into the third period at Nashville but the Predators tied the score and sent the game into OT. However, the Ducks' dramatic overtime victory ended a 10-game home winning streak for Nashville and allowed Anaheim to reclaim the home ice advantage with the 3-2 win. It's back to the Honda Center for Game 5 but the Predators won the series opener in this building plus posted three wins at Anaheim in last year's first-round playoff matchup, including the winner-take-all Game 7.
Nashville: The Predators not only lost at home for the first time in the playoffs on Thursday but they lost No. 1 center Ryan Johansen (team-leading 13 points, including three goals) for the rest of the playoffs. Johansen underwent emergency surgery on his left thigh following Thursday night's game and will require two to three months to recover. Johansen has not missed a game since his acquisition from Columbus in the middle of the 2015-16 season and his absence will put even more pressure on linemate Filip Forsberg, who notched the tying goal with 34.5 seconds in Game 4 to force overtime and is the first player in seven years to score in each of the first four games of a conference final (seven goals and five assists this postseason). The Predators also could be without captain and center Mike Fisher, who suffered an undisclosed injury in Game 4 and is questionable.
Anaheim: The Ducks blew a two-goal lead in the final 6 1/2 minutes of regulation but avoided a potentially crushing defeat when Corey Perry scored his third overtime goal of the postseason off a fluke deflection. Corey Perry offered a simple assessment after scoring Anaheim's only goal on a bad-angle shot in Game 3, basically telling reporters you can't score if you don't shoot, and he reinforced that point with his decisive tally on Thursday. Perry threw a shot at the net from between the right circle and the boards that deflected off the stick of Predators defenseman P.K. Subban and past Rinne to give the Ducks new life.
The pick: The Predators' magic carpet ride through the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs definitely hit a 'speed bump' with Thursday's loss but let's remember just how well Pekka Rinne has played. After falling behind 2-0 in Game 4, he stonewalled the Ducks until the Predators tied the game and even the Ducks will admit that their game-winner on Thursday was flukea . The cold hard facts are that Rinne owns a 1.66 GAA and .940 SP this postseason. Nashville has yet to lose consecutive games in this year's playoffs (suffered its fourth loss on Thursday) and after the team's previous three losses, Rinne has led the Predators to wins of 3-1, 3-1 and 2-1, turning aside 64 of 67 shots (.955 SP). Make Nashville a 10* play.
Nashville: The Predators not only lost at home for the first time in the playoffs on Thursday but they lost No. 1 center Ryan Johansen (team-leading 13 points, including three goals) for the rest of the playoffs. Johansen underwent emergency surgery on his left thigh following Thursday night's game and will require two to three months to recover. Johansen has not missed a game since his acquisition from Columbus in the middle of the 2015-16 season and his absence will put even more pressure on linemate Filip Forsberg, who notched the tying goal with 34.5 seconds in Game 4 to force overtime and is the first player in seven years to score in each of the first four games of a conference final (seven goals and five assists this postseason). The Predators also could be without captain and center Mike Fisher, who suffered an undisclosed injury in Game 4 and is questionable.
Anaheim: The Ducks blew a two-goal lead in the final 6 1/2 minutes of regulation but avoided a potentially crushing defeat when Corey Perry scored his third overtime goal of the postseason off a fluke deflection. Corey Perry offered a simple assessment after scoring Anaheim's only goal on a bad-angle shot in Game 3, basically telling reporters you can't score if you don't shoot, and he reinforced that point with his decisive tally on Thursday. Perry threw a shot at the net from between the right circle and the boards that deflected off the stick of Predators defenseman P.K. Subban and past Rinne to give the Ducks new life.
The pick: The Predators' magic carpet ride through the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs definitely hit a 'speed bump' with Thursday's loss but let's remember just how well Pekka Rinne has played. After falling behind 2-0 in Game 4, he stonewalled the Ducks until the Predators tied the game and even the Ducks will admit that their game-winner on Thursday was flukea . The cold hard facts are that Rinne owns a 1.66 GAA and .940 SP this postseason. Nashville has yet to lose consecutive games in this year's playoffs (suffered its fourth loss on Thursday) and after the team's previous three losses, Rinne has led the Predators to wins of 3-1, 3-1 and 2-1, turning aside 64 of 67 shots (.955 SP). Make Nashville a 10* play.
