Ducks won’t have Rickard Rakell (lower body) in Game 6

Racing down the ice in transition, Brandon Mountour threw a shot on goal.

Gaudreau’s good: Predators forward Frederick Gaudreau made his impressive National Hockey League postseason debut Saturday in an incredibly pressure-filled situation.

In their second elimination game of the postseason, the Ducks edged Edmonton 2-1 in Game 7 of the conference semifinals on May 10.

Both teams found the back of the net in the 2nd period, though.

Nashville had tied the score 1-1 on Wilson’s power-play goal, his second goal of the playoffs, at 19:19 of the second period. Rickard Rakell missed Saturday’s game with a lower-body injury, and forward Patrick Eaves has missed nine with his injury. Bernier stopped 16 of 18 shots faced, while Gibson was a flawless 10-for-10 for the Ducks in the first period. A themes i noticed when they have less shots on goal they win.

Bernier took the loss in Game 5 as he stopped 16 of 18 shots, allowing goals to Colin Wilson and Pontus Aberg.

Austin Watson added an empty netter in the closing seconds for the insurance goal, 3-1.

It was at Bridgestone where Anaheim played its best game of the series in Game 4, outshooting Nashville 14-2 in the first period and 36-33 for the game.

Anaheim’s collection of veteran stars and up-and-coming talent will have to win back-to-back elimination games to avoid crashing out in the conference finals for the second time in three years. The Predators will have the luxury of playing in front of their loyal fans with a chance to eliminate the Anaheim Ducks.

Game 6 is set for Monday in Nashville. The Predators are without leading scoring Ryan Johansen for the rest of the playoffs after undergoing surgery.

A trip to the Stanley Cup finals is within the Predators’ grasp. The Predators beat the Ducks in Game 7 of the first round last season. “If you think about Colton’s season and how he’s grown as a player, from the beginning of the year and finding himself on the fourth line, sometimes on the third line, sometimes out of the lineup, and for us really looking for him to define himself as a player”. Rinne was on fire in Saturday’s win and should be able to carry that momentum with him to Nashville tonight.

“I think any time going into these games you want to be a difference maker”, Rinne told NBC Sports. “It is one game at a time, but we know our next win puts us in contention for the Stanley Cup”.

“I just tried to bring my game out there”, said Aberg. He made 32 saves and aggressively played the puck to help hold off the Ducks.

Who is Frederick Gaudreau? He was still a major threat against all of the Predators’ playoff opponents, providing his two wings with strong playmaking on one of the NHL’s most exciting young lines. Losing these players for the game explains to some extent why the Ducks lost by two goals at home.

Johansen led the Predators with 13 points in 14 playoff games while centering their unsafe top line alongside Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson.