NASHVILLE, Tenn. _ Potential elimination seems to bring out the best in the Ducks and the Western Conference finals are heading toward a lengthy conclusion with the Nashville Predators.
This competitive series is headed for at least six games. The Ducks made it so Thursday night, somehow recovering after blowing a late lead to earn a 3-2 overtime victory in Game 4 at Bridgestone Arena that evens the best-of-7 series at two games apiece.
Corey Perry's sharp-angle shot toward the net managed to deflect in past Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne as Nate Thompson battled with Predators defenseman P.K. Subban in front. Thompson got credit for the goal as Perry's shot was initially deflected by Subban toward Rinne.
Game 5 is Saturday night at Honda Center, but it's a 2-2 series only after the Ducks did what they could to blow Game 4. Their penchant for undisciplined play was kept in storage for the bulk of the contest. It soon became far more interesting than it should have been.
Filip Forsberg has burned them all series and his goal with 34.5 seconds left lifted the Predators to an improbable tie. Forsberg jammed a puck through Ducks goalie John Gibson and has goals in all four games.
The Ducks appeared to stop playing for a moment as Nashville pressed and the puck went high into the air. Ducks defenseman Josh Manson prepared to play it but appeared to receive a cross check from Predators center Ryan Johansen. Forsberg soon scored and Bridgestone Arena erupted.
But the Ducks spent most of the third period in defense mode after playing an effective and often-ideal 40 minutes. Penalties _ a thing they're quite familiar with _ were their undoing with four straight that fed a dangerous Nashville team that hadn't been in Game 4.
Subban started the third-period comeback by putting the first crack in Gibson on a successful point shot with 6:27 remaining. The Ducks were able to kill off a 5-on-3 Predators advantage with Kevin Bieksa and Manson in the penalty box. But they were long into scramble mode.
And that continued when Nashville coach Peter Laviolette pulled goalie Pekka Rinne for an extra attacker. A mostly strong effort by the Ducks was nearly left in ruins, with Rickard Rakell and Nick Ritchie scoring goals for a 2-0 lead.
The Ducks couldn't have asked for a better start to Game 4. A day away from the rink did wonders for a team that was outskated and outplayed on Tuesday.
Races to pucks and battles for them were routinely won, not lost. Passes were hitting teammate's sticks instead of missing in front or behind them. Rushes through the neutral zone were made in coordinated unison instead of haphazard random.
It made for the increased offensive zone time that the Ducks craved. But the game remained scoreless for the first 10 minutes despite a growing shot advantage. It didn't stay that way for long.
Nashville failed to get the puck all the way down the ice but proceeded with a line change. Cam Fowler caught the Predators on it and fired a puck up to Rakell at the attacking blue line. Rakell eschwed his usual wrist shot for a rare slapper that beat Rinne for a 1-0 lead.
And instead of sitting back with the lead, the Ducks continued to press on and create chances. Nothing else found its way past Rinne in the first but they continued to feed their battled-tested urges. Bieksa exemplified that.
To counter the Predators' aggressive pushes to the net that had Gibson dealing many bumps to him, Ducks coach Randy Carlyle inserted Bieksa into the lineup for the veteran's first action since getting hurt in Game 1 of the second round against Edmonton.
Bieksa, who drew in for a struggling Shea Theodore, brought the physical edge that was often lacking from the Ducks in Game 3. A hit that knocked Nashville's James Neal off his skates helped set the tone. Josh Manson stood up to an attempted hit by Predators center Ryan Johansen in the second.
The Predators answered their awful first with a much-improved middle period. Shots finally got to Gibson but the majority were either sucked into his chest without a rebound or kicked away into harmless areas. And the Ducks would take advantage of their quality scoring chance.
Continuing his penchant for scoring important goals in these playoffs, Ritchie got a pass from Thompson on a rush and snapped a wrist shot by Rinne on the glove side. It was Ritchie who had the massive winning score in their Game 7 triumph to eliminate the Oilers and advance.
Advancement wasn't on the line Thursday night. But the Ducks again got themselves back on solid footing.
