Predators Hand Ducks Fifth Loss Of The Season
NASHVILLE (AP) — Colin Wilson and Ryan Ellis each had a goal and two assists to lead the Nashville Predators to a 5-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday.
Mattias Ekholm, and Mike Ribeiro each had a goal and an assist and Eric Nystrom had the other goal for the Predators, who improved to 6-1.
Pekka Rinne made 27 saves for the Predators.
Jiri Sekac scored for Anaheim. Anton Khudobin made 24 saves. The Ducks have lost five of six so far this season.
Nystrom opened the scoring at 3:40 of the second period.
Austin Watson chipped the puck over a diving Cam Fowler just outside the Anaheim blue line and then chased the puck on the right boards. Watson found Nystrom in front, where he had a tap-in for his second goal of the season.
The assist was the first of Watson's career.
Ellis made it 2-0 at 12:47 of the second.
Just after a Nashville power play, Ribeiro slid a cross-ice pass to Ellis at the left faceoff dot, where his one-timer beat Khudobin on the short side.
Ellis returned to the Nashville lineup after missing Tuesday's game with a lower-body injury.
Ribeiro added a goal at 17:00 of the second on a shot from the lower part of the right circle after collecting the rebound of his initial attempt, which was blocked by Fowler.
Ekholm made it 4-0 when he scored his first goal of the season at 3:03 of the third on a slap shot from the left faceoff dot.
Sekac spoiled Rinne's shutout bid with a power-play goal at 12:15 of the third. The Ducks entered Thursday as the only team not to score a power-play goal this season.
Wilson finished the scoring with a power-play goal at 18:18 of the third.
Notes: Nashville has not allowed a first-period goal this season. ... Anaheim LW Andrew Cogliano played his 300th game with the Ducks. ... Anaheim won all three matchups against the Predators last season.
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