Ducks are in peril after a 3-2 loss to Predators

One train of thought was that the Ducks’ depth and defense would eventually wear down the Nashville Predators in their first-round playoff series.

So far, the Ducks are in danger of not lasting long enough to do so.

The Predators did all the dirty work in Game 2 for a 3-2 win Sunday at Honda Center that gives them a 2-0 series lead going back to Nashville.

The Predators scored three straight goals by outworking the Ducks down low, in front, along the boards and by generally crawling under their skin.

The Ducks got defenseman Kevin Bieksa back in their lineup and jumped to a 1-0 lead on a highlight goal by Andrew Cogliano, but Nashville took Anaheim out of its structure in a chippy, sometimes ugly game that officials struggled to control. The Ducks got late life on a goal by Nate Thompson to get to 3-2 with 2 minutes 42 seconds to go but the game ended on a Nashville clear.

“You never want to go down, 2-0, in your own building,” Ryan Getzlaf said. “We’ve got to go on the road and do something now. Like I said, we’ve been doing things the hard way all year, so we’re looking forward to that challenge in Game 3.”

The Ducks have scored three five-on-five goals in the series and have largely been a one-line attack of Cogliano, Ryan Kesler and Jakob Silfverberg.

David Perron in the second period took one of five Ducks penalties, and the Predators converted on signature slap shot from defenseman Shea Weber to make it 3-1.

It put the Ducks in a further spiral following Nashville’s execution in the corner for a 2-1 lead. Craig Smith buried Filip Forsberg’s pass from behind the goal line near after Roman Josi prevented a Ducks’ clearing pass.

“I think it’s them getting under our skin and out-working us and us just not being ready and prepared,” Hampus Lindholm said. “You’re never going to win championships and playoff games if you sit in the box all night.

Nashville got a response goal with 55.4 seconds left in the first period to tie it 1-1 and stunt Anaheim’s momentum. Defenseman Mattias Ekholm sent a backhand past goalie John Gibson’s right side on a set up in the slot from Colin Wilson to hush the crowd.

Nearly five minutes earlier, Cogliano erupted the building with a breakaway goal. He blocked Weber’s dump-in attempt and slipped a backhand five-hole on Predators goalie Pekka Rinne.

It rewarded an aggressive, energetic start for the Ducks, but it was misspent with back-to-back minor penalties by Corey Perry in the first 10 minutes.

Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau went back to Gibson, an expected vote of confidence for the 22-year-old, who is still new to the postseason. Sunday was his sixth playoff game. He made 24 saves.

Boudreau recalled bringing up Gibson from their minor league team for the 2014 semifinal against the Kings. Gibson won Games 4 and 5, the former a shutout.

“He knows I’ve got faith in him,” Boudreau said before the game. “He knew that I believed in him and I know now that he believes in me as well.”

Boudreau could have switched to Frederik Andersen, if only to get Andersen in a game because he has played sparingly following a concussion in late March.

But it might have signaled panic.

“It’s important to see that they have faith in him, and we do, too,” Cogliano said before the game.