Ducks fall in six to Nashville

The Ducks erased a 3-1 deficit in the third period, but Colton Sissons scored the go-ahead goal and completed his hat trick with 6:00 remaining in regulation to lift the Predators to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in franchise history.

"I look at the game and I look at our body of work and how we played, I don't think I'd complain about our effort," said Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle. "Yeah, we could make some definite improvements in our execution. But our effort was there and we were a desperate hockey club right from the opening faceoff and we didn't quit until they scored the second empty-net goal."

Nashville, which began play in 1998-99 and is competing in the postseason for the 10th time, had recorded three series wins prior to the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs (3-9).

The Predators, who ranked 16th in NHL’s regular-season standings and qualified for the postseason as the second Wild Card team in the Western Conference (41-29-12, 94 points), became the third club seeded lowest in its conference to advance to the Stanley Cup Final since the League adopted the conference-based playoff format in 1994. The others: the 2006 Oilers (4-3 L vs. CAR) and 2012 Kings (4-2 W vs. NJD).

At least one team outside the top 10 in the NHL’s regular-season standings now has reached the Stanley Cup Final in eight of the past 15 seasons. The others: the 2002 Hurricanes (16th), 2004 Flames (12th), 2006 Oilers (14th), 2010 Flyers (18th), 2012 Kings (13th), 2014 Rangers (12th) and 2016 Sharks (11th).

Sissons, who has one hat trick in his regular-season career (109 GP), recorded the second three-goal game in Predators playoff history – following Filip Forsberg’s hat trick in Game 5 of the 2015 First Round vs. CHI. Elias notes that Sissons became the first player to score a hat trick in a series-clinching win in the Conference Finals since Chicago’s Patrick Kane in 2013 (vs. LAK).

Sissons, who had 8-2—10 in the regular season (58 GP), now has matched that point total during the playoffs (5-5—10 in 16 GP). He did not register a point in any of his 10 career postseason appearances prior to 2017.

Filip Forsberg notched 1-1—2 to extend his point streak to seven games (5-3—8), matching a franchise playoff record also achieved by Ryan Ellis this postseason. Forsberg has 8-7—15 overall in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs (16 GP), the most goals and points in a single postseason in Predators history.

Pekka Rinne made 38 saves to improve to 12-4 in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs (1.70 GAA, .941 SV%, 2 SO), including a 7-1 record at Bridgestone Arena (1.54 GAA, .947 SV%).

Austin Watson (2-0—2) posted his first career multi-goal performance (regular season or playoffs, 156 GP).

The Predators next will face the winner of the Eastern Conference Final between the Penguins and Senators. Only one player on Nashville’s roster has previously appeared in a Stanley Cup Final game: Mike Fisher, who collected 2-2—4 with Ottawa in 2007 vs. ANA (5 GP).

PENGUINS AIM FOR SECOND STRAIGHT FINAL APPEARANCE

The Penguins aim to advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight season and sixth time overall when they visit the Senators in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final at Canadian Tire Centre. Pittsburgh looks to become the first NHL team to make consecutive appearances in the Final since it faced Detroit in back-to-back years in 2008 (4-2 L) and 2009 (4-3 W).

MONDAY’S RESULT (Home Team in Caps)
NASHVILLE 6, Anaheim 3 – NSH wins 4-2

TUESDAY’S ACTION (All Times Eastern)
Pittsburgh @ Ottawa, PIT leads 3-2, 8 p.m., CBC, TVAS, NBCSN

By Staff of TheDailySportsHerald.com and news services