The Predators stave off elimination and put the Ducks on the hot seat going back to Anaheim for a deciding game 7
Game six(6) did not have the ending Ducks fans had hoped for. A slow first period from the Anaheim Ducks lead into an abysmal second, in which the Nashville Predators scored two(2) goals and brought the crowd at Bridgestone Arena to their feet. Even Ryan Kesler burying a power play rebound past Pekka Rinne late in the period couldn’t deflate the drone created by Preds fans.
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The third period (the only period in which the Ducks out shot the Preds) was a solid effort by the Ducks. But the Predators have a shut down defensive style all their own, Keeping the majority of shots on the perimeter and running a trap to keep the Ducks hemmed in the neutral zone. As the clocked ticked away head coach Bruce Boudreau tried to pull Goaltender Frederik Andersen with 2 minutes left, but Nashville wouldn’t let up and kept backing the Ducks into their own zone. With little over a minute left the puck had been cleared far enough out of the zone for Andersen to get to the bench for the extra attacker, but the Ducks couldn’t get much past the Preds defense and what made it through to was easily redirected by Rinne. With ten(10) seconds left Shea Weber lifted one out of the zone and straight into Anaheim’s empty net, solidifying the win and a trip back to Anaheim.
So we look to game seven(7) tomorrow night at the the Honda Center in Anaheim. We look with hope that history doesn’t repeat itself.