Anaheim Ducks blast the Nashville Predators 6-3 to level the Quarter-final series – NHL Play-offs
The Anaheim Ducks’ offensive outburst in the final quarter was enough to level the Western Conference quarter-final series against the Nashville Predators 2-2, as they won the fourth game 6-3, at the sold out Bridgestone Arena, in Nashville Tennessee, on
Wednesday, April 20.
It was anyone’s game entering the third period, as both Anaheim and Nashville remained tied.
Anaheim took advantage of the mistakes Nashville made throughout the match, which they barely managed to control during the second period. It lead the Ducks to take an early lead, but after a few gatherings with the Nashville coach, the Predators caught
up but again could not capitalise, due to some bad decision making in the third.
Nashville coach, Barry Trotz, said, "All game I thought we were just making major blunders, poor decisions."
The Ducks made it 2-0 in the first five minutes of the initial period, as Cam Fowler and Saku Koivu scored. Anaheim took all eight of the opening shots on net, without giving the Predators a glance of the possession. Fowler contributed his first of the post-season,
on one of Nashville’s three penalties of the period. Koivu tapped in his first also, off a missed shot by Jason Blake nearly 33 seconds later.
Barry Trotz then called a time-out to change the strategies of the Predators. The hosts’ right-wing, Patric Hornqvist, scored their first goal, when Koivu hit the net on a clean pass from Sergei Kostitsyn, ending the period 2-1.
Joel Ward tied the match 5:44 into the second quarter, when Anaheim gave two early power-plays. Ward was sent to the benches at 7:59, for a penalty of his own when he high-sticked Jason Blake, drawing blood from his face. The move gave the scoring opportunity
to the veteran player, Teemu Selanne, who made the tie-breaker on his fifth goal of the play-offs. Matt Halischuk again levelled the game for Nashville, forcing a tension filled third period for both teams.
It was Corey Perry’s goal early in the third quarter, which deserved to be called the game-winner. The Ducks entered the final 20 minutes of the game-time shorthanded, on a penalty carried over from the second period. Perry took the initiative by taking
control the puck and went one-on-three with the Nashville defensemen.
The aggressive intent and play from Perry sparked a shooting spree for the Ducks, as Captain Ryan Getzlaf and Brandon McMillan fired in one each, to take the game out of reach for the hosts and ended the period, 6-3.
Ducks skipper, Getzlaf, while talking about Perry after the game, said, "He's always scored big goals for us at big times, and your big guys got to be your big guys in big games. There's no doubt about it. He's been doing it ... all year, and we expect nothing
less come playoff time."
The Ducks and Predators go head-to-head again on Friday for game five, this time in Anaheim. With both teams tied in the series 2-2, the match is sure to be a sitter as either side will be looking to take a substantial lead in the seven-match series.
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