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Dogs on a bone: Nashville Predators take lead in conference final because they never, ever let up

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NASHVILLE — Cam Fowler figured they would run out of gas. They had to. No one can sprint up and down the ice — always sending two forwards deep on the forecheck, always blitzing defenceman up in the neutral zone, always going full speed — for 60 minutes.

“I think it’s hard to sustain,” said the Anaheim Ducks defenceman. “It takes a lot of effort to play that hard.”

Most teams, even in an era of the 40-second shift, pace themselves. If they don’t, the tank empties in the third period and players start to tire. When that happens, mistakes are made and they start giving up goals.

But in Game 3 of the Western Conference final, the Nashville Predators never took their foot off the gas. They never stopped pressuring the puck carrier or challenging each and every pass. They never gave an inch of space. They just kept going and going, like a team full of Energizer Bunnies.

Nashville outshot Anaheim 17-9 in the first period and 11-4 in the second. By the end of the game, it wasn’t the Predators who ran out of gas, but rather the Ducks, who gave up two goals — not included the two that were disallowed — in the third period of a 2-1 loss.

Frederick Breedon / Getty Images
Frederick Breedon / Getty ImagesNashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg controls the puck against the Anaheim Ducks on May 16.

“I thought that our hockey club was flat with emotion, and you’ve got to give the opposition credit for taking that out of us, too,” said Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle. “There was frustration because of their aggressiveness and them playing in our face. And then we weren’t allowed to execute at the level that we have been accustomed to.”

There are many ways to win a hockey game. Some are more pleasing to the eye than others. While the Ottawa Senators have been criticized in the playoffs for sitting back and playing a boring, trap-style system, the Predators are playing as though they are concerned with putting on a show as much as picking up the win.

“It’s been our identity and it’s the way we want to go about our business,” said Predators forward James Neal, who credited head coach Peter Laviolette for introducing the system. “It’s really paying off so far right now.”

This is a fun team to watch, even if it requires fans to wait for the whistle before they can blink. The defencemen are encouraged to play like forwards, the forwards are encouraged to play like heat-seeking missiles and the team has accepted the fact that they will always be out of breath.

P.K. Subban called it a “dog on the bone mentality.” The Predators play hungry hockey. Unlike the Senators, they are not trying to lull their opponent into sleep and then attack. They are constantly putting opponents on their heels, like when Nashville lost a face-off in the offensive zone late in Game 3, but still came away with the tying goal after Filip Forsberg chased Sami Vatanen behind the net and checked him off the puck.

“We want to dictate the pace of the game and we want to attack you in all three zones as a five-man unit and be tough to play against,” said Subban. “I think everybody on our team can skate, move the puck and make plays. But I think the difference for us is the ability for us to get in there and challenge teams physically and really move our feet to check and defend.”

It helps that the Predators, who became faster when Subban replaced Shea Weber on defence, have the horses to playing a skating game. And that they have a goalie in Pekka Rinne who can clean up any messes made on a bad pinch. But it’s more than just having players who can skate. It’s having players who are willing to come to the bench gasping for breath after every shift.

Most teams could play this way if they really wanted to. But most teams aren’t willing to play a full-court press for the entire game because it takes so much out of them.

“You’ll see teams do that over the course of the season, but they’ll do it for stretches at a time,” said Fowler. “It’s pretty rare to see a team that expects their players to do that for the whole 60 minutes — and that’s what they do. They obviously feel like they have the players and the speed to do that. It’s effective. It’s hard to play against.”

It’s effective, but it’s not infallible. Constantly attacking puts you at risk of being out of position or chasing the game. The challenge for Anaheim is to use Nashville’s pace against them and move the puck quicker than the Predators can move their feet.

It sounds easy. But when the decision-making process goes from one second to half a second, making the right play when you’ve got a player charging at you can be nearly impossible. Even more so at this time of year, when the ice is soft because of rising temperature and the puck is bouncing like a tennis ball.

“I think we need to do a better job of making plays under pressure,” said Fowler. “There were times when we made a couple of plays and before you know it, then you can get them spread out because their first two forwards are so aggressive. If you make a couple of plays, there’s a lot of ice there to take advantage of.”

For now, don’t expect the Predators to slow down. And if you’re watching the game, don’t expect many opportunities to blink.


Filip Forsberg steps up, cements burgeoning reputation as ‘such a clutch player’ for Nashville Predators

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NASHVILLE — Good or bad, the playoffs are a time when reputations take form and are cemented.

It’s why a player like Alex Ovechkin, who has never made it out of the second round, is often criticized for his leadership abilities, or why some used to debate whether three-time Stanley Cup champion Jonathan Toews was a better player than Sidney Crosby.

The reputation that has been forming around Filip Forsberg is as a clutch performer.

The Nashville Predators forward, who scored the tying goal in Game 3, leads the team with six goals and has 11 points in 13 games. Though he struggled in last year’s playoffs, he still has 12 goals and 21 points in 33 games for his career.

“I think through the course of your career, there’s always going to be experiences that you gain,” said Predators head coach Peter Laviolette. “A guy like Justin Williams, he’s built a reputation as someone who’s a big-time player in Game 7s. He might not have thought that in his first Game 7, but when you repeatedly do things over time, you develop that reputation.

“Right now, Filip is a young player. He’s continuing to work hard, he’s got his head in the right place and his eye on the ball. We probably should leave it at that, because we still have a lot of work left to do. I think those are things that happen.”

Bruce Bennett / Getty Images
Bruce Bennett / Getty ImagesNashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg (right) circles the net of Anaheim Ducks goalie John Gibson on May 16.

At this time a year ago, Forsberg was carving out a different reputation. Despite leading the team with 33 goals, he managed only four points in 12 games as the Predators failed to advance out of the second round.

“I think the way last year’s playoffs went for him as an individual kind of motivated him throughout the season and now in these playoffs to be the difference maker and be such a clutch player,” said linemate Ryan Johansen. “I mean, he seems to be the guy who’s always finding a way to get it done in those crucial points in games.”

It’s not just Forsberg who is playing better in this year’s playoffs. Johansen, who had eight points in 14 games in last year’s playoffs, is leading the team with 13 points in 13 games.

“As (Forsberg’s) linemate and the guy playing with him, we always feel like we’re a threat on the ice,” said Johansen. “In those times when we’re counted on as a line, we feel like we’re able to come through and find ways to make it happen.”

***

Though the story coming out of Game 3 was about how Nashville persevered after having two goals disallowed in the third period, it could have been much different had the team lost.

With that in mind, Laviolette was asked if he had any issues with the goaltending interference calls that had Predators fans tossing rally towels on the ice in anger. And, perhaps more importantly, why he chose not to challenge any of the calls.

“It’s tough,” he said. “The first one that took place last night, we didn’t challenge it; we felt it was a tough call. The call was made on the ice, which means we would have needed really some good evidence to overturn that call. In hindsight, looking back at it today, I still think the same thing.

“The second one, in hindsight, like going back and looking at it, we really felt that (Mattias) Ekholm had an edge to the net. And he made a strong move. He had his player beat. And it was the player that caused Ekholm (to make contact) … maybe there should have been a penalty the other way. But that’s neither here nor there. Things happen so quick.”

***

A year ago, the Anaheim Ducks had arguably the best goaltending tandem in the NHL. It came at an obvious cost. With Frederik Andersen in need of a new contract, the team traded him to Toronto and decided that 23-year-old John Gibson was ready to assume the No. 1 job.

It was a gamble. But while the Maple Leafs could not be happier with Andersen, who led the team to the post-season in his first year, Gibson has also proven that he was ready for a promotion.

Bruce Bennett / Getty Images
Bruce Bennett / Getty ImagesAnaheim Ducks goalie John Gibson lies on the ice to make a save against the Nashville Predators on May 16.

“Well, he’s a world-class goaltender, very calm,” head coach Randy Carlyle said of Gibson, who has allowed eight goals in three games against the Predators. “Doesn’t outwardly display a lot of emotion and sometimes that gets misconstrued for lack of commitment, lack of caring.

“That’s not it at all. It’s just that he battles that internally and he doesn’t want to expose himself to any emotional level or any outburst that he thinks he shows a sign of weakness.”

***

The Predators won Game 3 on a power play goal from Roman Josi, which was no small feat.

The last time the Ducks allowed a goal on the penalty kill was in Game 6 of the second round. Nashville’s power-play goal was their first in 12 attempts in the series.

“The power play had a lot of looks last night. There was a lot of opportunity,” said Laviolette. “I still think when there’s opportunity, results usually come from it. But you’ve got to give Anaheim credit. They were one of the top teams on the penalty kill last year and this year. I know they struggled a little bit in the post-season prior to our series, but they are a terrific penalty killing team. They have been for a few years.”

Anaheim Ducks defeat Nashville Predators in overtime to even Western Conference final

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NASHVILLE — Prior to Game 4, Randy Carlyle stopped to get some gas.

The Anaheim Ducks, who had blown a third period lead in a 2-1 loss on Tuesday, had looked tired as they struggled to match their opponents’ pace of play. But rather than bag-skate the team or drill the players to death in what they did wrong, he chose to give them the day off. A couple of days, really.

The Ducks did not skate on Wednesday — instead they spent the day playing darts and shooting pool — and held an optional skate prior to Game 4, where the emphasis was on “optional.” The idea was to put more fuel in the tank.

Carlyle, who said he asked his players for an extra 10 per cent, didn’t want any wasted energy. Better to save it for when it mattered the most.

“I don’t think we’ve had the emotional level we’ve had previously in the game the other night,” Carlyle had said. “And there were too many check points from my perspective that I felt the number one thing that we needed to prepare ourselves for tonight was rest.”

The Ducks team needed that extra rest on Thursday, in what was a wild game of momentum swings. Anaheim gave up a two-goal lead in the third period, but still had enough in the tank to defeat Nashville Predators 3-2 in overtime.

Nate Thompson was initially credited with the winner at 10:25 in overtime, though it looked like the pass that Corey Perry sent on net from the corner redirected off Nashville defenceman P.K. Subban. Either way, it was crisis averted for the Ducks, who go home with the best-of-seven Western Conference series tied at two rather than down 3-1.

Game 5 is in Anaheim on Saturday.

“I’ll take it,” said Perry, who added the day off played a part in the win. “It was something that we needed and we responded fairly well.”

It was the first home loss of the playoffs for the Predators, who in case you were wondering had practised on Wednesday and skated prior to Game 4. And though they mounted a heck of a comeback in the third period and nearly pulled off the impossible, the first 20 minutes were probably their worst of the playoffs.

Then again, Nashville had been long overdue for a stinker.

The Predators had swept the top seed Chicago Blackhawks in the first round and overpowered the St. Louis Blues in the second round. Heading into Game 4 against Anaheim, they not only had never lost at home but also had outscored their opponents 17-7 at Bridgestone Arena.

And then, it started to go away.

The speed that had been evident in a stunning comeback win in Game 3 was nowhere to be found in the early going. The Predators looked tired, flat and out of sync, especially in the first period when the Ducks set a franchise record for fewest shots allowed in the playoffs.

For the first couple of periods, this wasn’t the up-and-down, track meet type of game that Nashville prefers. Instead, Anaheim ramped up the physicality and played keep-away. The Ducks, who had 20 total shots in Game 3, outshot the Predators 14-2 in the first period on Thursday night.

One of those shots was an absolute cannon.

Catching the Predators on a bad line change, Ducks forward Rickard Rakell stepped over the blue line and uncorked a slap shot that blew past Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne. It was a well-placed shot. But still, from that far out and with no one in front, it was one that Rinne would have liked back.

Then again, he probably would have liked if his teammates had mustered more than just two shots on the Ducks’ net in the first period.

“I thought we had some energy and played on our toes,” said Carlyle.

The Predators came out with a little more energy in the second period, outshooting the Ducks 18-12. But midway through, it was Nick Ritchie who gave the Ducks a 2-0 lead on a perfectly placed wrist shot from just above the face-off circle.

Nashville, meanwhile, finally got it going in the third period. With 6:27 remaining, the Predators finally put one past John Gibson when Subban blasted a shot from the point that banked in off the post and past Gibson.

The Predators weren’t done. They were just getting started.

Shortly after Subban’s goal, the Ducks took two more penalties — one for high-sticking and another for slashing — giving the Predators a 5-on-3 man advantage. Nothing came of it. But with the goalie pulled and 34.5 seconds remaining in the period, Viktor Arvidsson set up Filip Forsberg, who had scored the tying goal in Game 3, in front for the tying goal.

This time, however, the Predators couldn’t pull another stunner.

“I’m going to tell you you’re going to get frustrated,” Carlyle said of going into overtime after giving up the lead. “But you have to reset yourself.”

The Ducks did just that. And this series, which has been reset, is now down to best two-out-of-three.

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John Gibson proving Anaheim Ducks made the right goaltending choice in the offseason

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ANAHEIM, Calif. — It was a year ago when the Anaheim Ducks were presented with a goalie problem.

Well, problem might not be the right word. It was more like than an embarrassment of riches.

In John Gibson and Frederik Andersen, who had combined for the league’s lowest goals-against average in 2015-16, the Ducks had arguably the best tandem in the NHL.

The problem was boiled down to cost: With both contracts expiring last summer, the team had to choose one goalie over the other.

Anaheim ultimately went with the younger option, trading Andersen to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a package that included a first-round draft pick. It was a move that thrust Gibson into the starting job at the age of 23.

“It’s obviously exciting, but there’s pressure that comes with it,” said Gibson, who lost the starting job in last year’s playoffs after the Ducks lost Games 1 and 2 to the Nashville Predators in the first round. “You obviously want to prove to the guys and management that the decision they made was the right one.”

No argument there. While Andersen was spectacular in his first year in Toronto, leading the team to an unlikely playoff berth, Anaheim does not have seller’s remorse. If anything, with the Ducks six wins away from winning the Stanley Cup, Gibson has joined Pittsburgh’s Matt Murray as two of the top young goalies in the NHL.

“Obviously, with the situations with contracts and numbers and all those things get put to the test in the summer, the decision was made to stick with Gibby,” Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. “And the decision looks like a good one right now, doesn’t it?”

Still, Gibson’s post-season hasn’t been without a few bumps along the way.

In the opening round against Calgary, he was pulled after allowing four goals on 16 shots in a come-from-behind overtime win over the Flames, sitting on the bench for all five of Anaheim’s goals. And, following a Game 1 loss to the Oilers in the second round, where Gibson gave up four goals again, Carlyle busted out an old line that he used when critiquing his goalie in Toronto: “One time I said he was just ‘OK’ and it got me in a lot of crap.”

Gibson’s biggest test, however, came in Game 6 against the Oilers when he was pulled after allowing three goals on six shots. It wasn’t just Gibson. The entire Ducks team had been awful in that 7-1 loss. Still, with Game 7 just two days later, there was some concern whether Gibson would be able to bounce back.

“I think it helped that that entire game almost didn’t even seem real,” Ducks defenceman Cam Fowler said of Game 6. “It was one of those games where you scratch your head after and say, ‘How did that even happen?’ But he’s a guy who doesn’t get fazed by the moment or the situation. He doesn’t overthink things.

“He knows he belongs there and is a starting goaltender and a really good one, so you knew he was going to bounce back with a really good performance, which he did in Game 7 and he’s just kept that momentum going.”

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
Bruce Bennett/Getty ImagesJohn Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks makes a save during the second period of Game 4 of the Western Conference final at Bridgestone Arena on May 18, 2017.

Gibson stopped 23 of 24 shots in that elimination game. Since, in four games against the Predators in the Western Conference final, he has played his best hockey of the playoffs, recording a .935 save percentage.

“It’s only one game,” Gibson said of his second-round hiccup against the Oilers. “I think the longer you play in the playoffs and the more you play, you’re bound to have an off night, whether it’s a couple of individuals or the team or whatever. I said from Day 1, it’s how you rebound and follow it up. And I think since then I’ve obviously done a good job.”

Said Carlyle: “With Gibby, there’s the first two series, Calgary and Edmonton, where we thought that in the situations that he was presented in the most stressful time or most intense time, he played his best hockey. So, that’s where you see the growth and you see the competitiveness inside where he doesn’t normally display them outwardly. But he definitely is a competitor inside.”

That he’s doing it at an age when most goalies are plying their trade in the minors or as backups might not be surprising to those who watched Gibson win gold for the U.S. at the 2013 world juniors. Either way, he’s a big reason why the Ducks are entering Game 5 with the series tied 2-2.

“There’s no surprise,” Fowler said. “He’s always had that ability. He’s a confident kid. No matter what the situation is, he’s never overwhelmed. He’s been amazing for us. He’s kept us in hockey games. He’s helped us win hockey games. He seems really confident, so he’s dong a great job for us.”

mtraikos@postmedia.com

Ducks’ Ryan Getzlaf fined maximum amount for ‘demeaning and disrespectful’ slur toward official

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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.

Pontus Aberg’s first playoff goal lifts Nashville Predators past Anaheim Ducks 3-1 in Game 5 for series lead

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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

Nashville Predators surprised to hear about severity of Ryan Johansen’s season ending injury

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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

No turning back: Banged-up, ‘desperate’ Anaheim Ducks enter hostile territory with season on the line

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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 Images
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 Images
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 to get first taste of Stanley Cup final action as Predators clinch series win over Anaheim Ducks

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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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Patrick Eaves puts career on hold after being diagnosed with rare immune disorder

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ANAHEIM, Calif. — Anaheim Ducks forward Patrick Eaves has been diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, and his hockey career is on hold while he recovers.

The Ducks announced Eaves’ diagnosis Monday, and the club disclosed that the veteran goal-scorer was in intensive care last week.

Eaves is still hospitalized in Newport Beach, California, but his condition has stabilized.

“I’m on the road to recovery,” Eaves said in a statement issued by the Ducks. “I’ve received tremendous amount of support over the last few days, most importantly from my family, friends and teammates. I’m determined to fully overcome this and return to the ice as soon as possible.”

Guillain-Barre syndrome is a rare disorder in which a patient’s immune system attacks the nervous system, sometimes resulting in death. Eaves’ condition was diagnosed early, an important factor in successful treatment.

Eaves thanked two specialists — Dr. Robert Watkins Sr. and Dr. Danny Benmoshe — for quickly discovering the disorder last week. Ducks general manager Bob Murray also praised the doctors.

“Our sole focus at this time is on Patrick’s general health and well-being,” Murray said. “What defines Patrick Eaves is his strength of character, and that will serve him well in his recovery.”

The 33-year-old Eaves joined the Ducks from Dallas as a late-season trade rental in late February. He played a key role in their push for a fifth straight Pacific Division title, excelling on the power play and racking up 11 goals in 20 games.

Despite missing the final 10 games of the regular season due to injury, he finished with a career-high 32 goals between the Ducks and Stars. He played seven games in the post-season, but sat out the final 10 games with a sprained right ankle while Anaheim reached the Western Conference finals.

Instead of seeking bigger offers in free agency, he re-signed with the Ducks in June, agreeing to a three-year, $9.45 million deal. He was expected to be a key top-six forward for the Ducks this season.

Eaves also has suited up for Ottawa, Carolina, Detroit and Nashville during his 12-year NHL career.





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