National Hockey League
Anaheim 5, Nashville 2
When: 6:00 PM ET, Saturday, April 23, 2016
Where: Honda Center, Anaheim, California
Referees: Jean Hebert, Tim Peel
Linesmen: Scott Driscoll, Bryan Pancich
Attendance: 17360

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- David Perron and Sami Vatanen each had a goal and an assist to lead the Anaheim Ducks to a 5-2 win over the Nashville Predators in the fifth game of the Stanley Cup Western Conference quarterfinals Saturday in front of a standing-room-only crowd of 17,360 at the Honda Center.

Ryan Garbutt, Cam Fowler and Ryan Kesler also scored, Ryan Getzlaf and Jakob Silfverberg contributed two assists apiece, and goalie Frederik Anderson stopped 27 shots for his third successive playoff victory, giving the Ducks a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series as they return to Nashville for Game Six on Thursday night.

Ryan Johansen and Miikka Salomaki scored their first playoff goals for the Predators, who received 27 saves from goalie Pekka Rinne.

Garbutt broke a 1-1 tie with his fourth career playoff goal at 16:23 of the second period. After winning the puck from Predators' Shea Weber and Mike Fisher in the left corner, Garbutt whacked it between a lunging Rinne and the right post for his first goal of the series.

Vatanen extended the lead to two goals at 8:34 of the final period, seconds after leaving the penalty box for hooking. Jakob Silfverberg freed Vatanen for a breakaway, and Vatanen fired a wrist shot under the crossbar for his first playoff goal.

Salomaki used his first career playoff goal to narrow the margin with 6:31 to play. Weber fired a slap shot that hit Salomaki, who swept the deflection inside the left post.

But Fowler responded with a power-play goal 11 seconds after Mike Ribeiro received a slashing penalty. Fowler powered a slap shot from the top of the slot inside the right post with 3:21 remaining.

Kesler's empty-net goal ended the scoring with 1:46 left.

Johansen gave Nashville a 1-0 lead 14:13 into the second period before Perron tied the score 22 seconds later.

Anaheim defenseman Simon Despres secured a loose puck in his own end but slipped while the Predators' Colin Wilson was checking him from behind. Wilson retrieved the puck in the left corner and passed to Johansen, who flipped a backhand under the crossbar for his first point since Game One.

But at 14:35, Perron fired a slap shot from the blue line near the right boards that deflected off the left ankle of Nashville defenseman Roman Josi. The puck ricocheted so high that Rinne leaped to try to grab it. But the puck wobbled tantalizingly over his glove.

Perron's goal was his first in the playoff in four years and the third of his career.

Both goalies made crucial saves early. With 2:16 gone in the game, Rinne stopped Corey Perry twice while the Predators were short-handed. Rinne used his left leg pad to stop Perry's shot near the left post before blocking Perry's attempt to convert the rebound.

Then with 8:11 left in the first period, Andersen made a lunging glove save on Josi's slap shot after Josi received Viktor Arvidsson's pass during a 2-on-1 breakaway.

In the second period, Andersen's kick save foiled Josi, who spun to avoid a check from defenseman Cam Fowler before faking to his backhand and shooting 4:40 into the period.

Eight minutes into the period, Nashville defenseman Mattias Ekholm shoveled a backhanded shot from the top of the slot that hit the crossbar and bounced over the glass. About 15 seconds later, Rinne made a pad save against Ryan Kesler's wrist shot on a breakaway from the right wing.

NOTES: Nashville scratched RW Gabriel Bourque (upper body), RW Craig Smith (lower body), D Petter Granberg, LW Eric Nystrom and LW Austin Watson. ... Predators LW Colin Wilson needs one goal to tie Martin Erat for fourth place on the club's career playoff goal-scoring list with eight. ... The Predators' power play failed to convert its past 11 chances and was 1 of 19 in the series entering Game 5. ... Anaheim scratched D Josh Manson (head), D Clayton Stoner (hip), LW Brandon Pirri (upper body), D Korbinian Holzer, C Mike Santorelli and C Chris Wagner. ... Ducks LW Andrew Cogliano entered the day leading playoff teams in shooting percentage at 50.0 after converting two of four shots. ... Ducks G Frederik Andersen also shared first place with the Philadelphia Flyers' Michal Neuvirth and the Pittsburgh Penguins' Matt Murray in goals-against average at 0.50.
Top Game Performances
 
Nashville   Anaheim
Ryan Johansen 1 Points David Perron 2
Ryan Johansen 1 Goals David Perron 1
Mike Ribeiro 1 Assists Ryan Getzlaf 2
N/A Power Play Goals Cam Fowler 1
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Pekka Rinne .871 Save Percentage Frederik Andersen .931
Pekka Rinne 27 Saves Frederik Andersen 27
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Nashville 29 2 0-3 6-7 14 26
Anaheim 32 5 1-7 3-3 6 40
Upcoming Games
  • Anaheim will play their next game on the road against Nashville. The Ducks have a W/L % of .565 after a win and .556 after a loss.
  • Nashville will play their next game at home against Anaheim. The Predators have a W/L % of .439 after a win and .561 after a loss.