Nashville 3, Anaheim 1
When: 8:00 PM ET, Sunday, March 18, 2012
Where: Honda Center, Anaheim, California
Referees:
Marc Joannette, Tom Kowal
Linesmen:
Thor Nelson, Don Henderson
Attendance:
14978
By SportsDirect Inc.
PREDATORS 3, DUCKS 1: David Legwand recorded a goal and two assists as Nashville scored three times in the third period to top Anaheim and sweep the four-game season series.
Patric Hornqvist and Mike Fisher also scored while Anders Lindback made 30 saves in his first start since Feb. 28 for the Predators, who completed a 2-1-1 road trip. Nashville maintained its four-point lead over Chicago for fifth place in the Western Conference.
Anaheim got on the board 7 1/2 minutes into the contest on rookie Devante Smith-Pelly's fifth goal. With Bobby Ryan in the penalty box for high-sticking, Smith-Pelly received a cross-slot pass from captain Ryan Getzlaf on a 2-on-1 rush and beat Lindback from the left faceoff circle.
The tally held up until early in the third. Legwand made a pass from above the left circle to Hornqvist, who beat Jonas Hiller to the stick side from alone in the slot for his fifth goal in seven games.
Midway through the session, Legwand made a pass from behind the net to defenseman Ryan Suter, whose blast from the left faceoff circle was stopped by Hiller. The puck bounced into the crease, where it was knocked in by Fisher for his 23rd goal and a 2-1 lead.
Legwand sealed the win by firing the puck into an empty net during a power play with 17 seconds remaining. It capped Legwand's second three-point performance in five games.
Hiller stopped 24 shots for the Ducks, who went 1-2-0 on their three-game homestand.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Fisher, who has reached the 20-goal plateau in five of the last seven seasons, has registered a point in seven of his last eight contests. ... Hiller extended his franchise record by making his 32nd consecutive start. ... Nashville has won six straight overall meetings with Anaheim and five of six at the Honda Center. ... The Ducks have dropped five of their last six contests.
Top Game Performances
Nashville |
|
Anaheim |
David Legwand 2 |
Points |
Devante Smith-Pelly 1 |
David Legwand 1 |
Goals |
Devante Smith-Pelly 1 |
David Legwand 1 |
Assists |
Sheldon Brookbank 1 |
David Legwand 1 |
Power Play Goals |
N/A |
N/A |
Short Handed Goals |
Devante Smith-Pelly 1 |
Anders Lindback .968 |
Save Percentage |
Jonas Hiller .923 |
Anders Lindback 30 |
Saves |
Jonas Hiller 24 |
Team Stats Summary
Team |
Shots |
Goals |
Power Play |
Penalty Kill |
Penalty Mins |
Face Offs Won |
Nashville
|
27 |
3 |
1-4 |
1-1 |
2 |
28 |
Anaheim
|
31 |
1 |
0-1 |
3-4 |
18 |
35 |
Upcoming Games
-
Anaheim will play their next game on the road against San Jose. The Ducks have a W/L % of .433 after a win and .395 after a loss.
-
Nashville will play their next game at home against Edmonton. The Predators have a W/L % of .548 after a win and .633 after a loss.