Final
Preds try to extend lead over Ducks in Game 4
Apr 20, 2011 - 3:12 PM (Sports Network) - The Nashville Predators will try move closer to winning a playoff series for the first time club history, when they host the Anaheim Ducks tonight at Bridgestone Arena for Game 4 of the Western Conference quarterfinals.Nashville earned a split in Anaheim over the first two games, taking Game 1 by a 4-1 score before losing 5-3 in the second test. The Predators then grabbed a two games to one edge with a 4-3 decision in the Music City in Game 3.
The fifth-seeded Predators have never won a playoff series in their franchise's brief history, having been knocked out in the first round all five times they have made the postseason. In fact, a victory tonight would give Nashville three wins in a single playoff series for the first time ever.
Mike Fisher scored the game-winner midway through the third period in Sunday's victory and he has posted three goals and two assists in his first playoff series for the Predators. Fisher came to Nashville in a trade with Ottawa in early February and the veteran forward has 17 goals in 78 postseason contests.
Fisher lit the lamp at the 10:21 mark of the third period to snap a 3-3 deadlock. Following a dump into the Anaheim zone, Sergei Kostitsyn gathered a loose puck at the bottom of the right circle. He quickly passed to the left side of the net for Fisher, who chipped the disc into the net.
"My linemates are playing really well and giving me opportunities to score," Fisher said.
Martin Erat had a goal and an assist for the Predators, while Jordin Tootoo and David Legwand also lit the lamp.
Pekka Rinne, meanwhile, needed to make made 13 saves to post the win for Nashville.
Teemu Selanne had two goals for the Ducks, who were without forward Bobby Ryan because of his two-game suspension. Ryan, who had 34 goals in the regular season, was docked by the NHL Saturday for stomping on the skate of Predators defenseman Jonathon Blum late in Anaheim's Game 2 victory.
Matt Beleskey also scored for Anaheim, which got 33 saves from Ray Emery.
"We committed some atrocious turnovers in the hockey game in the defensive zone," Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle said. "If we don't play better defensively than we played tonight, then I don't think we can give ourselves much of a chance."
The fourth-seeded Ducks are hoping they can tie the series tonight before getting Ryan back for Friday's Game 5 matchup in Anaheim.
Anaheim has also been playing this series with its second goaltending option, as Jonas Hiller is Anaheim's regular No. 1 but has been unavailable due to a continued bout with vertigo. The illness has limited Hiller to just three starts since the beginning of February. Hiller has been skating, but there has been no indication one way or the other that he is going to be able to play in this series.
Emery, who came into the postseason battling a lower body injury of his own, has stopped 70-of-77 shots for a .909 save percentage in the series.
The Predators had an excellent 24-9-8 mark as the home team this season, while Anaheim was 21-17-3 on the road.
Though the Ducks and Predators both finished with 99 points in the regular season, Anaheim got the higher seed in this series because it had 43 non- shootout wins to Nashville's 38. It was the Preds, though, that got the best of the Ducks during the regular season, winning three of the four matchups.
Nashville and Anaheim are meeting for the first time in the postseason.
- ANAHEIM: 6
NASHVILLE: 3
Final
Apr 20 11:18 PM - Anaheim Short-Handed Goal - Corey Perry (2), at 1:17.
Ducks 4, Predators 3 3rd - 18:43Apr 20 10:42 PM - ANAHEIM: 3
NASHVILLE: 3
End of 2nd
Apr 20 10:23 PM - Anaheim Power-Play Goal - Teemu Selanne (5), at 11:41.
Ducks 3, Predators 2 2nd - 8:19Apr 20 10:04 PM - ANAHEIM: 2
NASHVILLE: 1
End of 1st
Apr 20 9:22 PM - Nashville Goal - Patric Hornqvist (2), from Sergei Kostitsyn at 5:45.
Ducks 2, Predators 1 1st - 14:15Apr 20 8:53 PM - ANAHEIM: 0
NASHVILLE: 0
1st Period - 20:00
Apr 20 8:40 PM
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