Ducks find advantage on road to knot series with Nashville

Anaheim Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said the team will  stick with Frederik Andersen moving forward in their first-round series against the Nashville Predators. 

This is probably a wise decision. Andersen has entered the Ducks’ first-round series against the Predators and allowed one goal in his two games played. He holds a 0.50 goal-against average and .983 save percentage.

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In the Ducks’ 4-1 Game 4 win that knotted their series with the Predators, Andersen didn’t have to be spectacular, but he was good enough, stopping 30 of 31 Predators shots on goal.

The Ducks lost Games 1 and 2 with John Gibson in goal. In that stretch Gibson, who had slightly better numbers than Andersen in the regular season, allowed six Nashville scores on 60 shots on goal. Those losses cannot completely be heaped on Gibson as Anaheim’s offense also mustered just four goals in the two games.

But against Nashville with Andersen in goal, they’ve looked more like the team that had the league’s best record in the new year and stormed back from a mediocre start to win the Pacific Division on the last day of the NHL’s regular season. 

The Ducks have scored seven combined goals in their wins. Captain Ryan Getzlaf has scored a goal and added an assist. Forward Rickard Rakell scored goal and added an assist in the contests and grinder Chris Stewart has chipped in with a goal and two assists. 

Anaheim’s embarrassment of goaltending riches between Andersen and Gibson has created playoff confusion with the Ducks. Maybe this win calms that down to a degree. 

In Games 1 and 2, the Predators physically beat the Ducks and forced them into uncharacteristic mistakes. In Nashville, Anaheim still struggled with discipline, going shorthanded 11 times, but killed off all the Predators’ power plays.

Mike Fisher scored the Preds’ only goal as the Ducks held snipers James Neal and Filip Forsberg, along with blueline weapon Roman Josi without a point.    

The teams will play again Saturday. The key for the Predators will involve trying to figure out a way to muster more offense on Andersen. The Ducks will look to stick to whatever has worked and adjust to Nashville’s counterpunch.

Said Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis, "We have to pick our heads up. We’ve got to come back and play harder, play tougher and find our game again.”

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper