Anaheim Ducks: 67 Days Until Home Opener— The Best of Rickard Rakell

November 12, 2018— Winning the Shootout Against the Nashville Predators

It is no secret that the rivalry between the Anaheim Ducks and the Nashville Predators has heated up over the past few seasons. While there is definetly a rivalry between the players, the biggest rivalry is between the two fan bases. So, anytime the Ducks are victorious against our friends from the South, it is a rather momentous occasion that deserves to be celebrated.

The first few weeks of the season had been difficult for the Anaheim Ducks. The dreaded injury bug had been relentless from the get-go. Nevertheless, midway into November, the team began to get a little healthier, giving them a fighting chance against teams like the Nashville Predators.

The first game between the Ducks and Nashville was an important one for the fans. The fate of the game would set the pace for the rest of their meetings throughout the season. Several fans showed up early, including our very own Jake Robles with his infamous turtle poster, excited and hungry for a win.

As the players met in the faceoff circle, pride was on the line for both the team and the fans. From the start of the first period to the final buzzer, however, the game wasn’t too exciting. Both team’s had almost equal opportunities, and all though the Predators controlled the pace of the game, the Ducks didn’t have a hard time keeping up.

A goal in the final minutes of the second period from Ryan Getzlaf and a goal from Kevin Fiala in the third sent the game into overtime. With no progress made in the OT period, we sat on the edge of our seats as the game was forced into a shootout.

Randy Carlyle sent Pontus Aberg out first, and without hesitation, he beat Pekka Rinne five-hole, shooting the puck at his former teammate as though he were swiss cheese. Kyle Turris evened it up, confusing Gibson by changing his shooting angle last minute. Five unsuccessful shots followed from the two teams, leading the Ducks to send out Rickard Rakell in a final attempt to win it all.

Rakell set himself up and weaved his way in towards Rinne. His hands were quick, his skating was swift, and his vision was impeccable. Without missing a beat, Rakell rocketed the puck past the Predators goaltender. If Nashville could make the next goal, they would extend the shootout and their win streak. Gibson, however, stood tall in the net as Kevin Fiala wound up for his shot.

Rakell turned out the lights on the Pred’s win streak and put them to bed. It was a hard-fought battle, and after a rough start to the season, it was great to see Rakell looking more like his old self. More importantly, he would give his fans bragging rights until the two teams would meet again just a few weeks later on November 25th.