NHL Peachy: Morning Skate: Stanley Cup Playoffs Edition -- May 21, 2017
SATURDAY’S RESULT
Home Team in Caps
Nashville 3, ANAHEIM 1 – NSH leads 3-2
PREDATORS RALLY TO MOVE WITHIN ONE WIN OF STANLEY CUP FINAL
Colin Wilson tied the game late in the second period and Pontus Aberg scored the go-ahead goal with 8:59 remaining in regulation to help the Predators take a 3-2 series lead against the Ducks and move within one win of reaching the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in franchise history.
* The Predators, who began play in 1998-99 and are competing in their 10th postseason, improved to 11-4 in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs and 11-7 in 18 all-time postseason meetings against the Ducks (7-3 at ANA).
* Nashville became the first road team to win a Game 5 in Anaheim since the 2011 Conference Quarterfinals, snapping the Ducks’ seven-game winning streak in such contests. The Predators posted a 4-3 overtime victory in that contest to take a 3-2 series lead before earning a series-clinching win on home ice in Game 6.
* The Predators own a 3-2 series lead for the third time in franchise history and have won Game 6 in each of the two previous instances – the 2011 Conference Quarterfinals vs. ANA and the 2017 Second Round vs. STL.
* Aberg, a second-round selection (37th overall) in the 2012 NHL Draft, notched his first career playoff goal (1-1—2 in 11 GP). The 23-year-old Stockholm native scored in his third career regular-season game on Nov. 17, 2016 at OTT and had 1-1—2 in 15 contests in 2016-17.
* Wilson (13-11—24) scored his 13th career postseason goal (all w/ NSH) to move into a tie for the most goals in franchise playoff history and within four points of David Legwand (13-15—28) and Shea Weber (13-15—28) for the most career playoff points in a Predators uniform.
* Pekka Rinne made 32 saves to improve to 11-4 in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs (1.62 GAA, .942 SV%, 2 SO), including an 8-0 record when allowing fewer than two goals.
* When teams are tied 2-2 in a best-of-seven series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the winner of Game 5 holds an all-time series record of 198-54, including a 5-0 mark this postseason.
COMEBACKS, CLOSE GAMES CONTINUE IN THE 2017 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
The Western Conference Final, which has been tied or within one goal for 89% of total playing time (284:38 of 319:49), has seen the winning team overcome a deficit (of any margin) in four of five contests – including all three victories by the Predators.
* The Predators earned their fifth come-from-behind win this postseason, marking the 31st comeback victory overall in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs (77 GP, 40.3%). The NHL record for comeback wins in a postseason was set in 1990, when 45 of 85 contests (52.9%) saw the winning team erase a deficit of at least one goal.
* Six of the nine total games played in the Conference Finals have been decided by one goal, with another two contests decided by two goals following an empty-net score.
LOOSE PUCKS
Nashville has not lost consecutive games since the regular season when they lost to the Blues and Islanders on April 2 and April 4, respectively . . . Predators forward Filip Forsberg collected an assist to extend his point streak to six games (4-2—6). Forsberg has 7-6—13 in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs (15 GP), tied for the most points in a single postseason in franchise history . . . The Predators have had 10 different players score a game-winning goal this postseason . . . Ducks forward Ryan Getzlaf was fined $10,000 for directing an inappropriate remark toward another on-ice participant in Game 4 . . . Canada will face Sweden in the 2017 IIHF World Hockey Championship gold-medal game this afternoon . . . Injured forward Ryan Johansen received a visit from his dog and tweeted throughout the Predators’ Game 5 victory, which he watched alongside teammate Kevin Fiala.
SNEAK PEEK AT SUNDAY’S ACTION
All Times Eastern
Ottawa @ Pittsburgh, series tied 2-2, 3 p.m., CBC, TVAS, NBC
