Ducks even series with 5-3 win over Nashville

The Anaheim Ducks overcame deficits of 2-0 and 3-2 to defeat Nashville, 5-3, evening their Western Conference Final series with the Predators and marking the 29th comeback victory of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs (71 GP, 40.8%) and 14th multi-goal comeback win this postseason (19.7%).

The Ducks have staged four of the multi-goal comeback wins this postseason, marking the sixth time in NHL history that a team has earned at least four such victories in a single postseason. The other instances: the Canadiens in 1973 and 1979 (4 in each), the Blues in 1986 (4), the Flyers in 1987 (5) and the Kings in 2014 (4).

The Ducks tied the game twice in the second period before Nick Ritchie scored the game-winning goal with 2:53 remaining in the middle frame to help Anaheim even the Western Conference Final at 1-1.

The Ducks overcame a deficit (of any margin) to win for the sixth time this postseason, with Game 2 being their fourth multi-goal comeback win (also Game 3 of FR at CGY, Game 4 of SR at EDM and Game 5 of SR vs. EDM). Anaheim overcame a multi-goal deficit to win only four times during the 2016-17 regular season.

Ritchie, the 10th overall selection in the 2014 NHL Draft, tallied his second game-winning goal of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs (also Game 7 vs. EDM; 11 GP). He scored three such markers in the 2016-17 regular season (77 GP).

Jakob Silfverberg scored his ninth goal of the postseason to tie Penguins forward Jake Guentzel for the most in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Only two players in Ducks history have scored more goals in a single postseason: Andy McDonald (10 in 2007) and Corey Perry (10 in 2015).

Ryan Getzlaf (8-10—18 in 13 GP) collected three assists for his second three-point performance of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs (also Game 4 at EDM: 2-2—4), moving within one point of Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin (6-13—19) for the League lead.

Getzlaf’s 18 points are tied for the second-most in a single postseason by a Ducks player, two points shy of tying the club record he set during the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs (2-18—20 in 16 GP). He is the all-time franchise leader in playoff goals, assists and points (37-80—117 in 117 GP).

Ducks forward Ondrej Kase scored his first career playoff goal (5 GP).

Predators forward Ryan Johansen (1-1—2) registered his third consecutive multi-point game to boost his team-leading totals to 3-10—13 this postseason (12 GP) and equal the franchise record for most points in one playoff year.  Predators forward James Neal scored his 13th career playoff goal with the Predators (32 GP), tying David Legwand (47 GP) and Shea Weber (59 GP) for the most in franchise history.

SUNDAY’S RESULT (Home Team in Caps)

ANAHEIM 5, Nashville 3 – series tied 1-1

MONDAY’S ACTION (All Times Eastern)

Ottawa @ Pittsburgh, OTT leads 1-0, 8 p.m., CBC, TVAS, NBCSN

By Staff of TheDailySportsHerald.com and news services