Nashville Predators edge past Anaheim Ducks, 4-3: NHL Play-off Recap
Mike Fisher lit the lamp with the go-ahead goal in the last period to lift the Nashville Predators to a 4-3 victory against the Anaheim Ducks, in Game 3 of Western Conference quarter-final set, at Bridgestone Arena on Sunday night.
Jordin Tootoo and David Legwand both also hit the net for Nashville, which was coming from a 5-3 loss in Game 2 to take a 2-1 series lead and has never won a play-off series in the franchise history, having been knocked out in the first round all five times it has made the post-season.
Martin Erat also added a goal and had an assist for the fifth-seeded Nashville, while Pekka Rinne turned away 13 shots in the losing effort.
Teemu Selanne found the back of the net twice and Matt Beleskey notched a goal for Anaheim. Ray Emery was strong between the pipes, but came up just short in the loss, stopping 33 shots.
Erat got Nashville off to a good start with a power-play goal, with five minutes left in the first period and eight seconds left in the power-play. The goal came when Cody Franson blasted a shot on net from the bottom of the right circle. It was stopped Emery, but he let go a rebound to the front, where Erat slipped the loose puck into the net for 1-0 lead.
Nashville then took two-goal edge, 2-0, late in the opening period, when he stole the puck from the Anaheim's defender in front of the net and banged a shot off the crossbar. He then succeeded to grab his own rebound and stuffed it home while falling to the ice.
Anaheim took command of the play by scoring two goals in a short span late in the middle period.
The first goal came with less than two minutes left in the second period. It happened so when Corey Perry held control of the puck behind the net and passed it in front for Selanne, who tipped the puck into the net to cut the deficit in half, 2-1.
Selanne struck again just 30 seconds later, when Perry unleashed a shot from the left point that was saved, but a rebound trickled out in front. Selanne then grabbed the loose rebound and ripped a shot from the right side of the crease for a 2-2 deadlock.
The Predators went on top, 3-2, again about 5 ½ minutes into the final session, when Ryan Suter held control of the puck near the bottom of the left circle and sent it across the crease. Legwand, who had positioned himself at the side of the net, easily chipped the puck into the net.
Anaheim pulled the game even at 3-3 again over a minute later, when an Anaheim’s player released a shot from the right point that caromed off Beleskey’s skate in front and Rinne was unable to block the deflected puck.
Fisher finally sealed the win at 4-3 just after the mid-way mark of the last period. The goal was set up by Sergei Kostitsyn, who followed a dump into the offensive zone, grabbed a loose puck at the bottom of the right circle and then passed it to the left side of the net for Fisher, who tucked it home.
Anaheim’s opportunity of knotting the game took a major blow when Saku Koivu came to the box for tripping with about 2 ½ minutes left in the third period.
Emery was benched with about 30 seconds left, but the Ducks were unable to pull an equaliser.
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