Frederik Andersen is a big net asset in Ducks’ 5-2 victory over Predators
Ducks teammates Ryan Getzlaf, top, and Sami Vatanen hug Cam Fowler at center ice after a third period goal against the Predators during a game on April 23.
There appeared to be some swagger in Frederik Andersen’s step when he high-fived a fan as he made his way down the tunnel to the Ducks’ dressing room.
Nearby, in the corridors of Honda Center, Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli were seen scurrying through the hallway wearing orange jerseys and big smiles.
Home felt good again for the Ducks, who got another big game from Andersen in net and finally took advantage of their own ice Saturday with a 5-2 win against Nashville in Game 5 of a first-round playoff series.
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Anaheim takes a 3-2 series lead going into Monday’s Game 6 with the steady Andersen and the knowledge they can win when having to respond to adversity like Saturday. Andersen made 27 saves and is 3-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average in the playoffs.
“He’s a big reason why we were able to come away with a win there,” Cam Fowler said. “He kept us in the game early, which is huge in the playoffs. You go down a couple of goals, especially in your home building, it can deflate you as a group. Any time he’s back there, we have nothing but confidence in him and he seems to stand tall when the moment’s the brightest and the biggest.”
Andersen set the tone with a glove save on Roman Josi on a Nashville two on one 12 minutes into the game and helped the Ducks respond from a 1-0 deficit and get two admittedly fluky goals by David Perron and Ryan Garbutt to jump-start the win.
“A lot of people would say we got outplayed today, and if it wasn’t for Freddie, the score will be different,” Coach Bruce Boudreau said.
The Ducks, who have never won a playoff series when down 0-2, squandered a 3-2 series lead against the Kings in 2014. Boudreau admittedly used the cliche about playing their best game Monday, and Andersen echoed him.
“We’ve got to go and have the same mind-set,” Andersen said. “We’ve got to bring that to Nashville and close the series.”
The game appeared to get away from the Ducks early in the second period. Their third full power play came up empty, and Ryan Johansen ended the scoreless tie with a backhand lifted over Andersen.
But the Ducks responded 22 seconds later. Perron’s shot from the right point took a fortuitous bounce off Josi’s skate, over Predators goalie Pekka Rinne and into the net.
Perron had two goals in 28 previous playoff games.
“It’s nice, for sure,” Perron said. “You’ve just got to keep looking forward now. I think it’s a different situation here. I thought our line created some buzz at times.”
Perron’s linemate Garbutt put Anaheim ahead for good on a workmanlike play to retrieve the puck away from Nashville’s Mike Fisher and Shea Weber at the end boards. Garbutt turned and banked the puck in.
“Sometimes you can catch the goalie off the post a bit,” Garbutt said. “I was lucky for that.”
Sami Vatanen made it 3-1 with a breakaway snap shot past Rinne early in the third, and Fowler scored cleanly on a power-play slap shot.
Anaheim induced Nashville into seven penalties, and Predators Coach Peter Laviolette said, “I don’t agree with a lot of the calls” but also that his team was undisciplined.
That was the case with the Ducks in Game 2, but they’ve worked back to take the series lead in a reflection of their season.
“Losing the first two games at home, and trying to climb out of that, it felt like rock bottom for us,” Garbutt said. “I think that the ability for this team to do that earlier in the year, definitely helped us in this situation.”
Follow Curtis Zupke on Twitter @CurtisZupke
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