Stewart, Andersen Lead Ducks Past Predators
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Chris Stewart had a goal and two assists, Frederick Andersen stopped 40 shots, and the Anaheim Ducks beat the Nashville Predators 4-2 Sunday night.
Rickard Rakell, Sami Vatanen and Andrew Cogliano also scored to help the Ducks snap a five-game skid (0-4-1) and get their second win in 11 games (2-8-2).
Shea Weber and Calle Jarnkrok had Nashville's goals and Carter Hutton stopped 24 shots. The Predators, coming off a 4-3 overtime defeat at Los Angeles the previous night, lost consecutive games for the first time this season.
After scoring just 10 goals in 10 games, the Ducks broke out of their funk with their second four-goal effort of the season.
Rakell finished off a strong early stretch of possession anchored by Stewart and Jiri Sekac with his second goal of the season. Rakell found himself all alone behind the net with the puck before burying a backhand shot past Carter Hutton just 1:11 into the game.
The Ducks did not let up, with Vatanen unleashing his big slap shot from outside the circle to make it 2-0 midway through the first period. Stewart picked up his second assist of the game on the play.
With the Predators still reeling, Cogliano capitalized 12 seconds later. He took Jakob Silfverberg's pass, cut between distracted defenders Ryan Ellis and Mattias Ekholm down the middle of the ice and scored for a 3-0 lead.
It was the Ducks' fastest scoring blitz since getting two goals in 11 seconds against the Vancouver on Jan. 19, 2013.
Weber got the Predators going on the power play, scoring 5:23 into the second period. It was only the fourth goal allowed by the Ducks' penalty kill, entering the game with the league's second-best mark at 90.9 percent.
Stewart pushed the Ducks' lead back to three when he jammed home a rebound. Hutton stopped Korbinian Holzer's initial shot, but the puck trickled across the crease and right to Stewart for his first goal since signing with Anaheim as a free agent.
Jarnkrok added the other Nashville goal late in the second period.
Seth Jones nearly scored a third, skating through the Anaheim defense on the power play but unable to get the shot off. The loose puck then trickled between Andersen's legs before redirecting off his skate and going just wide of the net.
NOTES: Despite holding a 3-0-1 record and .945 save percentage against Western Conference opponents this season, Predators G Pekka Rinne got the afternoon off. ... Predators F Miikka Salomaki made his first career start. It was only Salomaki's second NHL appearance, as he suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery playing for the Predators' AHL affiliate last season. ... The Predators won 5-1 at home on Oct. 22, and the teams will conclude their three-game season series Nov. 17 in Nashville. ... Sekac left the game with a lower-body injury. ... Anaheim's other win was 4-1 against Minnesota on Oct. 18.
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