ANAHEIM, Calif. — Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf was fined $10,000 on Saturday for apparently using a homophobic slur during Game 4 of the Western Conference final.

The NHL announced the fine several hours before Game 5 of the series in Anaheim. Getzlaf, the Ducks’ leading scorer in the post-season, expressed a measure of remorse after the Ducks’ 3-1 loss to the Nashville Predators.

“A situation like that, where I’m on the bench by myself, frustration set in,” Getzlaf said. “There was obviously some words said, not necessarily directed at anyone in particular. It was just kind of a comment. I’ve got to be a little bit more responsible for the words I choose. … I understand that it’s my responsibility to not use vulgar language, period, whether it’s a swear word or whatever it is. We’ve got to be a little bit more respectful of the game, and that’s up to me.”

Getzlaf appeared to shout the inappropriate remark in frustration with an official after returning to Anaheim’s bench. The game officials appeared to be too far away to hear Getzlaf, but television cameras were trained directly on him.

“That’s my responsibility to understand that there are eyes and ears are on us all the time,” Getzlaf said. “Fortunately enough, nobody heard it. If you can read lips, it’s a little bit harder, and I apologize for that. That’s a thing that you won’t hear from me again. I hope I didn’t offend anybody outside the circle that we trust.”

One year ago, Chicago forward Andrew Shaw was suspended for one game and fined $5,000 for directing a homophobic slur toward an official during a playoff game.

Getzlaf avoided a suspension for reasons not immediately made clear by the NHL, but the fine is the maximum allowable under the league’s collective bargaining agreement with the NHLPA.

“Getzlaf’s comment in Thursday’s game, particularly as directed to another individual on the ice, was inappropriately demeaning and disrespectful, and crossed the line into behaviour that we deem unacceptable,” said Colin Campbell, the NHL’s senior executive vice-president of hockey operations. “The type of language chosen and utilized in this instance will not be tolerated in the National Hockey League.”

You Can Play Project, an LGBTQ advocacy group dedicated to the eradication of homophobia in sports that was founded by Philadelphia Flyers scout Patrick Burke and his father Calgary Flames president Brian Burke, also criticized Getzlaf.

“Words matter and Ryan Getzlaf’s words are offensive. No language considered homophobic belongs in sports. It’s not the language of role models. This is yet another opportunity to educate athletes, teams and fans,” said a statement from the organization on its verified Twitter account.

Getzlaf has scored 18 points in 16 playoff games during one of the best post-seasons of his NHL career, but he has been held scoreless in six of the Ducks’ last seven games, including Game 5. The 2007 Stanley Cup champion is the second-leading scorer in the current playoffs, trailing only Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin.

Anaheim faces playoff elimination in Game 6 in Nashville on Monday night.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Injuries happen.

We get it. These are the Stanley Cup playoffs. You can’t find one of the four teams left standing that isn’t missing significant player or running out of ice at this time of year.

But the Western Conference final is taking the battle of attrition to another level. Forget last goal wins. It’s been more like last man standing.

Prior to Game 5, Nashville was without its captain and it’s No. 1 centre. Anaheim was missing its leading goal-scorer and big-name trade deadline rental. And then the game started and the Ducks lost their starting goalie after the first period.

With so much star power on the shelf, it wasn’t surprising that a lesser light would stand up and take advantage of the opportunity. That was what happened, as Pontus Aberg, a player who had spent all but 15 games of the regular season in the minors, played the unlikely hero in Nashville’s 3-1 win against Anaheim.

“I just tried to bring my game out there,” said Aberg. “Like you said, we were missing two pretty big players out there. I felt pretty good.”

It was Aberg’s first goal. And like so many others, he nearly missed the opportunity because of an injury. Moments before he made a Bobby Orr-like leap and scored the biggest goal of his career, the 23-year-old had lost a tooth after being driven face-first onto the ice.

A concussion spotter pulled Aberg from the game. But he was a little late in the assessment, leaving Aberg on the ice for one more crucial shift.

“I didn’t expect that,” Aberg, who returned to the game later in the period, said of getting pulled. “I lost my tooth, but it didn’t hurt me.”

The Predators now head home with a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series that continues in Nashville on Monday. But if the injuries keep mounting, there won’t be enough players remaining to finish this up.

Heading into the game, the question was whether the Predators could win without Ryan Johansen, who had undergone surgery after getting hurt in the previous game. But as the day wore on, the injuries kept mounting, with Nashville’s Mike Fisher and Anaheim’s Rickard Rakell also missing the game.

Things reached a critical peak when Ducks goalie John Gibson was stripped of the puck behind the net in the first period and fell awkwardly when rushing back to his net. Though he finished the period, backup goalie Jonathan Bernier began the second period.

In the end, Nashville’s depth was better than Anaheim’s.

“That’s what you need to win in the playoffs and to win in professional sports,” Nashville’s P.K. Subban said of the team’s depth. “We have a solid team and that includes depth. (Aberg’s) a guy who in my opinion could have been playing on our team all year, but we have so much and so much experience … that it didn’t happen.”

Though the injuries obviously affected both teams’ lineups, it’s difficult to say who was at a bigger disadvantage. Not that anyone was making excuses. As Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf said, “It’s playoff hockey. You look at their lineup, they’re depleted as well.”

Based on how physical Game 5 was, the Predators and Ducks were lucky they didn’t lose any more players.

The longer this series goes, the nastier it is getting. Saturday night was not for the faint of heart, as Anaheim’s Josh Manson caught player after player with big hit after big hit, and Nashville’s Filip Forsberg wielded his stick around like it was a sword. It seemed like everyone on the ice was holding a grudge, if not a death wish.

In between all the hits, the slashes and the post-whistle scrums, the teams found time to score a couple of goals.

The Ducks took a 1-0 lead when they caught the Predators with their fourth line out against Ryan Kesler and Jakob Silfverberg line. Anaheim took advantage of the mismatch, with Silfverberg feeding defenceman Brandon Montour for a one-timer and Chris Wagner sliding in the rebound.

But as the Predators have shown throughout this series, this is a team that gets better and better as the game wears on.

With 40.3 seconds remaining in the second period, the Predators tied the game on a power play goal from Colin Wilson. In the third period, Nashville kept pouring it on. Once again, Forsberg — who leads the team with seven goals and overtook Johansen with 14 points — was at the centre of it.

It was Forsberg whose shot hit Bernier and kicked out to Aberg, who drove to the net and made it 2-1. The Predators put the game out of reach with an empty-netter from Austin Watson.

“I didn’t think our compete level was where it needed to be,” said Getzlaf. “They came out and worked harder than us in the second and third period, and that made the difference in the hockey game.”

mtraikos@postmedia.com

ANAHEIM, Calif. — A day after undergoing emergency surgery on his left thigh, not much more was known about Ryan Johansen’s injury except that it was surprising to everyone involved.

“I had no idea it happened,” Nashville Predators defenceman Mattias Ekholm said prior to Game 5. “Apparently it wasn’t that big of a deal or big of a hit or what have you. So, yeah, it’s tough for him. He had a really good go here in the playoffs especially, and we were definitely going to miss him.”

Johansen remained in Nashville on Friday, where his girlfriend posted a picture of the Predators forward sitting in the hospital bed with his dog at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

It was the only update given on the 24-year-old, who will require three to four months from whatever it was that he is out with.

“Not to get into it, because we have a game to play here, but at some point Ryan sustained an injury and was not able to make it through the game,” said Predators head coach Peter Laviolette. “And then upon further assessment, he had to move on from there with the doctors.”

When pressed for the nature of the injury — was it a blood clot or a muscle tear? — Laviolette said, “I’m probably going to stay away from that right now and focus on the game.”

According to NHL reporter Jon Morosi, Johansen was diagnosed with acute compartment syndrome.  

As for what impact his absence had on the team, Ekholm said, “Nothing changes for us, I don’t think.

“Obviously, we’re going to miss him,” Ekholm added. “He was a big part of our team and it’s a tough break for him. But we got depth in our roster. In the first two series we use a lot of guys up front. And the same guys know how to step in and do a good job. So we’re confident in our group.”

* * *
Like most of the hockey world, the Anaheim Ducks didn’t find out about Ryan Johansen’s playoff-ending injury until Friday afternoon.

Their reaction?

“I feel bad for the guy,” said Ducks defenceman Hampus Lindholm.

“Obviously, it’s a really tough break for them,” said Jakob Silfverberg.

Sympathy was probably not the only reaction. There was probably a little relief as well.

Johansen, who had been leading the Predators in scoring during the playoffs, was arguably the team’s best player. At the very least, the top-line centre was one of the more important players on the roster.

“He’s obviously a super-skilled forward. Anytime he has the puck, he’s a threat against us,” said Silfverberg, adding that Johansen had been a big reason why Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson had been having such a strong year. “He’s good at finding both Filip and Arvidsson when they’re coming with speed. He kind of slows it down and then hits them with speed. He’s a tough forward to play against. Like I said, obviously a tough break for them.”

At the same time, just because the Predators were without Johansen did not mean the Ducks expected them to roll over.

“He’s a good centreman. You have to give him credit for that,” said Lindholm. “But I don’t think any team relies on just one guy, so we’re going to have to play our best game tonight.”
 
* * *
The Predators are missing their No. 1 centre for the rest of the playoffs. But they won’t get any sympathy from Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle, who said injuries are “part of life in the playoffs.”

That is certainly the case in Pittsburgh, where the Penguins are playing without Kris Letang and can’t seem to go a game without losing a key player to injury. The Ducks, who were without Rickard Rakell (lower-body) for Game 5, have also played short-handed during the playoffs.

“We lost a pretty good player in Patrick Eaves,” Carlyle said of the forward, who suffered a lower-body injury in Game 3 against the Oilers in the second round. “You guys seem to forget about that. He was one of our top goal scorers, maybe one of our best players since the trade deadline. Reignited our offence.”

There is no timetable for Eaves’ return, but he skated on Saturday.

The 33-year-old winger, who was acquired from Dallas at the trade deadline, scored 32 goals and 51 points this season. He also had two goals and four points in seven playoff games.

Carlyle said Eaves’ absence provided an opportunity for others, such as Nick Ritchie, to step up and contribute offensively.

“So what we tried to do is you try to do it by committee,” said Carlyle. “Because one player is not going to replace Patrick Eaves. And we know that. So it gives other people an opportunity to get some minutes maybe they wouldn’t normally get. And that’s the way you treat it.”
 
mtraikos@postmedia.com

NASHVILLE — Back when he was coaching the Toronto Maple Leafs, Randy Carlyle had “Burn The Boats” painted on the inside of the team’s dressing room.

It was a reference to the days when Spanish conquistadors would set a course for the New World in search of untold land and riches. By burning their boats upon arrival, there was no turning back. You had two choices: conquer or die.

That is sort of the scenario that the Anaheim Ducks face as they arrived to Nashville for Game 6 of the Western Conference final. Down 3-2 in the best-of-seven series, there is no turning back now. The team either has to win on Monday or there will not be a Game 7 in Anaheim.

“For us, obviously our season’s on the line,” said Ducks forward Andrew Cogliano. “So we’re the desperate team.”

Based on the crowd of fans who were waiting for the Predators at the airport on Sunday, the Ducks are heading into hostile territory.

Harry How / Getty ImagesNashville Predators players celebrate an empty-net goal against the Anaheim Ducks on May 20.

“Right when we walked off, yeah, you could hear people,” said Predators defenceman Roman Josi. “It’s awesome. It’s unbelievable. Like we said all playoffs, our fans are unbelievable. I mean, just coming here for them, like on a Sunday afternoon supporting us, it means the world to us.

“We’re all excited. It’s so much fun. It’s been so much fun in the playoffs playing in front of our home fans. And we know that they’ll be loud (Monday). I think it doesn’t matter if you play at home or away — you’re up in the series, you want to get that fourth win.”

The Predators will need all the support they can receive. Though they have won six of seven games at home during the playoffs and are now just a win away from reaching the Stanley Cup final, they are being held together with duct tape and spit at this point in the post-season.

Of course, so are the Ducks.

We know that Nashville’s No. 1 centre Ryan Johansen, who missed Game 5, is done for the year after undergoing surgery for acute compartment syndrome on his leg. But the team could also be without captain Mike Fisher, who is listed as day-to-day after missing Game 5 with an unspecified injury.

Sean M. Haffey / Getty ImagesRyan Johansen, left, leaves a big hole in the Nashville Predators' lineup after being sidelined by surgery.

The Ducks will also be shorthanded, with forward Rickard Rakell not making the trip to Nashville after missing Game 5. The team might also be without the services of goalie John Gibson, who left Saturday’s game with a lower-body injury but would be re-evaluated on Monday.

“Yeah, that’s what playoffs are about,” said Cogliano. “Obviously they have a major injury themselves, but we’ve got a couple of guys that are very key players for us as well.

“I think when it comes down to these games, I think you’re going to have your best games from our best players, because that’s what they do. But it needs to be other guys that step up.”

The Predators relied on lesser lights, such as minor-league call-up Pontus Aberg and depth forward Colin Wilson, for offence in Game 5. It was, according to head coach Peter Laviolette, “a gutsy effort.” They will need that same effort again if they hope to close out the series against a veteran Anaheim team that has not lost two in a row since Game 2 of the second round.

“Guys know what’s at stake,” said Laviolette. “And we find ourselves back here in a situation where we can, we’ve gotta do it again. We’ve got to put our foot on the gas pedal again and make sure we’re ready to play.”

Aside from the depth in scoring, the big reason why Nashville was able to win in Game 5 — and get this far into the playoffs — has been the play of Pekka Rinne. The Predators goalie has had a Conn Smythe-worthy post-season, with an almost unfair 1.62 goals-against average and .942 save percentage.

With the Ducks needing two straight wins to advance, it’s also worth noting that Rinne has not lost two in a row since the playoffs began.

“(Rinne) is there for us every night,” said Aberg. “We know we can count on him. And it’s up to us to score more goals than they do. And he keeps it tight back there. So it’s huge for us to have him back there.”

It could become even bigger if Gibson is unable to play. But regardless of who is in Anaheim’s line-up, the Predators are not expecting the Ducks to surrender easily.

After all, there is no turning back now.

“Obviously we know what’s at stake,” said Wilson. “It is one game at a time, but we know that our next win puts us into contention for the Stanley Cup. So it’s something we’re focused on, but it’s just about that next game and getting the next win.”

NASHVILLE — There is a car, or what used to be car, painted in Anaheim Ducks’ colours and parked outside Bridgestone Arena. All series long, fans have been paying $10 for the chance to swing a sledgehammer at it. Pay $20 and they’ll let you take three swings — and even throw in a cowboy hat.

It’s a heckuva deal. And it’s so very Nashville.

As Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle said last week, “you see these elderly women out there with a sledgehammer taking a pounding at a car that’s got a Ducks logo on it . . . those are the kinds of things you look to, that passion that’s been developed in their market.”

By Game 6, the “rent-a-wreck” was missing its hood and looked like it was made of tin foil. The Ducks weren’t faring any better on the ice. That’s sort of how the series had gone. With every game, the Predators kept pounding away and applying more dents on their opponent until the Ducks finally caved in.

Nashville’s Colton Sissons recorded a hat trick, including the game-winning goal with exactly six minutes remaining in the third period. But it was goalie Pekka Rinne who was mostly responsible for a 6-3 series-clinching win in Game 6 on Monday.

With the victory, the Predators won the franchise’s first Western Conference final 4-2. They will now wait to see whether they will play Pittsburgh or Ottawa in the final.

Either way, hold onto your cowboy hats hockey fans, the Stanley Cup Final is coming to Smashville.

“It felt pretty good, man,” said Sissons. “A lot of energy. We worked so all year for this, so it feels good to get this far. But we’ve still got some work to do.”

“It’s a dream come true,” said Rinne, who stopped 38 of 41 shots. “But it’s a funny thing though. With everything that is happening around us, you still feel hungry and now we have a chance to play for the Cup. It’s an amazing feeling.”

Prior to the opening face-off, Nashville’s Ryan Johansen and Kevin Fiala — both out of the playoffs with injuries — got the crowd going by waving yellow rally towels from inside the stands.

It had the desired effect.

Less than two minutes into the game, Nashville jumped out to a 1-0 lead when Austin Watson banked a wrist shot in off an Anaheim defenceman’s skate. On their third shot of the night, Sissons beat Jonathan Bernier cleanly with a wrist shot.

Just like that, it was 2-0. And the roof was coming off the building.

That Bernier was even in the net spoke to how banged up the Ducks were. The team was missing starting goalie John Gibson, who left Game 5 with a hamstring injury, as well as forward Rickard Rakell for the second straight game.

To make matters worse, first-line winger Nick Ritchie was ejected late in the first period after hitting Viktor Arvidsson into the boards from behind.

Nashville was also missing key players, including captain Mike Fisher for the second straight game. But playing at home, where the Predators had lost three times in the playoffs over the last two years, they had the so-called seventh man back in their corner.

Decked out in yellow, the sold-out crowd spent the entire game alternating between standing up to cheer and breaking out into European soccer chants. Outside, there might have been even more fans. And yet, the Predators at times struggled to feed off the energy.

The first period ended with Nashville leading 2-0, but the ice wasn’t as tilted as the scoreboard made it seem. The Ducks outshot the Predators 12-4 in the first period, 13-4 in the second. Overall, the shots were 41-18.

“They were coming hard,” said Rinne. “We were fighting it for a bit, but you can’t take away anything. It was a gutsy effort.”

With Anaheim pressing in the second period, Ryan Getzlaf found Ondrej Kase in front of the net to make it 2-1. Nashville answered back in the third period. But just as shovels of dirt were being tossed onto the Ducks’ season, the team found new life.

Anaheim’s Chris Wagner banked a shot in off Rinne’s mask to make it 3-2. Four minutes later, with Corey Perry practically pulling Rinne to the ice in front, defenceman Cam Fowler tied the game on a point shot.

The Ducks had a chance to complete the comeback when Roman Josi took a delay of game penalty for shooting the puck over the glass. Instead, Rinne stood tall and three seconds after the penalty expired, Sissons scored the game-winner.

Forsberg and Watson then drove the final nails into the coffin with a pair of empty-net goals.

“We played like crazy all night long,” said Getzlaf. “It’s 3-3 with the power play and we give up a goal. That’s the difference in the hockey game.”

As the clock ticked down, fans began shouting, “We want the Cup.” They will get their chance soon enough.

mtraikos@postmedia.com

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