(Sports Network) - The Anaheim Ducks will attempt to rebound from their first
loss of the season when they host the Nashville Predators in Saturday's battle
at the Honda Center.
The Ducks, who were routed by the visiting Vancouver Canucks on Friday, have
not fared well against Nashville in recent history, having lost six straight
and nine of their last 11 games against the Predators. Anaheim has lost three
in a row and four of its previous five home tests in this series.
Anaheim opened the season last Saturday with a 7-3 blowout win in Vancouver,
but the Canucks returned the favor Friday in Orange County. Cory Schneider,
who was pulled from last week's meeting after allowing five goals, stopped all
30 shots he faced on Friday to earn the shutout and help the Canucks to a 5-0
win.
Jonas Hiller was charged for all five goals on 34 shots for Anaheim, which
allowed the Canucks to score three times on nine power-play chances.
"They're pretty good on the power play," Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau admitted
of the Canucks. "You make a mistake against those guys, they're going to make
you pay."
Friday's game was the home opener for the Ducks, who were 21-18-2 as the host
in 2011-12.
The Predators are 1-1-2 on the season and are coming off Thursday's shutout
loss in St. Louis. Nashville didn't make Blues goaltender Jaroslav Halak work
too hard for his second shutout of the season, putting just 13 shots on net in
the 3-0 loss. T.J. Oshie, Patrik Berglund and Vladimir Tarasenko lit the lamp
for the Blues, who have given up only six goals in four games en route to a
3-1-0 start.
"We did not have a good game. We made it easy on them," said Nashville forward
Colin Wilson.
Pekka Rinne allowed three goals on 24 shots for the Predators, who finished
five points behind St. Louis for last year's Central Division title.
Saturday's game is the third stop on a seven-game road trip for Nashville. The
Preds went 22-16-3 as the away club in 2011-12 and are 1-1-0 on the road so
far.
Nashville has played three straight without centerman Paul Gaustad, but he
could return from his upper body injury on Saturday.
The Sports Network