Ducks win, move into a playoff spot

Teemu Selanne scored the only shootout goal and the Ducks defeated Nashville, 2-1, Tuesday night to move past the Predators for the eighth and final playoff spot in the NHL’s Western Conference.

The Ducks have won four consecutive games while Nashville has lost three in a row. Both teams have 78 points with nine games left, but the Ducks have one more victory than Nashville, giving them the tiebreaker edge.

After the first three players for both teams were denied on their shootout attempts, Selanne skated in on goaltender Pekka Rinne and lifted a backhander just under the crossbar.

Jean-Sebastien Giguere then stopped Nashville’s Radek Bonk to seal the win for the Ducks.

Selanne also helped the Ducks grab a 1-0 lead at 17:38 of the second period. He carried the puck into the Nashville zone before faking a shot to freeze Rinne. He then passed to Drew Miller, who beat Rinne with a wrist shot.

Miller’s goal was his third in 18 games this season and second in his last three. The rookie has spent most of the season with Iowa of the American Hockey League.

Shea Weber tied it at 1-1 with a power-play goal at 4:12 of the third. David Legwand had the puck behind the Ducks net, and found Weber at the right faceoff dot.

Weber became the first Nashville defenseman to score 20 goals in a season. His nine power-play goals lead the team.

Giguere finished with 31 saves. Rinne had 18.