Anaheim Ducks vs Nashville Predators Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1 Preview

Anaheim Ducks vs Nashville Predators Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1 Preview, Prediction, Team Comparison, X-Factors

Stanley Cup Playoffs final series kicks off on Friday night at 10:30PM (EST) with the Anaheim Ducks vs Nashville Predators. The Pacific Division winner is set to face-off against the first Wild-Card Occupant.

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Both of these teams have shown vast improvement over the second half of the season.

Anaheim has been surging since their dreadful start when they were struggling to score goals. Nashville on the other hand caught fire after their acquisition of Ryan Johansen. They were able to sacrifice a great defensemen in Seth Jones without significantly diminishing their quality of defensive play on the ice.

Injury Report (IR – Injured Reserve, DTD – Day-to-Day)

Rickard Rakell ANA (DTD) – Sidelined with appendicitis, Rakell will be re-evaluated before game one, his status is unknown. He should return at some point in round one at the latest.

David Perron ANA (DTD) – After suffering a shoulder injury, Perron is considered probable for Friday night’s match-up.

Brandon Pirri ANA (DTD) – Out with an upper-body injury. He is expected to play game one.

Kevin Bieksa ANA (DTD) – After missing the last nine games, Bieksa is expected to be healthy enough to play on Friday night.

Clayton Stoner ANA (undisclosed) – He missed Wednesday’s practice for an unknown reason. His status is unclear at this point.

Miikka Salomaki NSH (DTD) – After missing the last three games of the season with an undisclosed injury, his status for game one is unknown.

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Anaheim Ducks vs Nashville Predators: Team Comparison

Goaltending:

John Gibson/Frederik Andersen vs. Pekka Rinne/Carter Hutton

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Anaheim hasn’t named their starter at this point, but it’s likely to be John Gibson who stole the show down the stretch. He collected 21 wins with a 2.07GAA and .920 save percentage and four shutouts. Coach Bruce Boudreau always has the option to turn to Andersen if Gibson stumbles.

Pekka Rinne has long been one of the NHL’s elite netminders. GM David Poile finally assembled a quality roster up-and-down in front of his superstar goaltender. Now, it’s time for Pekka Rinne to shine. Not only does he need to outplay his counterpart at the other end, but he will need to steal a game or two for the Preds.

Advantage: Nashville Predators

You need elite goaltending in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Rinne is one of the NHL’s best, and he’ll need to prove it for Nashville to upset Anaheim in the opening round. Just don’t be surprised if John Gibson emerges as the MVP if the results don’t go Nashville’s way.

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Defense:

For the most part, Anaheim’s defense under-achieved in 2015-16. While each defender played well for stretches, they failed to come together as a group. You could argue their best d-man was Cam Fowler, although he struggled post All-Star break.

The only bright spots were Josh Manson and Shea Theodore. Manson is a quality stay-at-home defender who plays a punishing style of hockey, while Theodore proved over a small sample size why he’s considered the Ducks top prospect.

If Anaheim wants to make a deep run, they will need their d-men to contribute more on the scoresheet. Cam Fowler, Sami Vatanen, and Hampus Lindholm have proven themselves capable in the past – now it’s time to step up when it matters most.

There is perhaps no better defensive duo than Shea Weber and Roman Josi. They’re not only an offensive threat, but are capable of shutting down the league’s best players.

Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Ellis round out a top four of excellent two-way defenders. Anthony Bitetto, Petter Granberg, and Barret Jackman round out the top seven – all sound blueliners that make for great options in a bottom pairing.

Advantage: Nashville Predators

When you consider the fact that Weber and Josi match-up against the opposition’s best night after night in a fierce conference, and still manage to produce 34 goals and 112 points combined, that’s truly impressive. You don’t have to worry about shutting down Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry if they’re spending most of the game away from the puck.

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Offense:

Expect line juggling to continue into the playoffs for Anaheim until Rickard Rakell returns, and maybe even beyond.

Splitting up Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry was a cute idea, but you can’t keep one of the NHL’s best duos apart and expect to win. Don’t be surprised if they eventually get matched up with Rakell having shown previous chemistry with the pair. Anaheim will need their two best players to be exactly that if the Ducks hope to get by the Nashville Predators.

With the addition of Ryan Johansen, the Preds secured themselves a legitimate top six with that missing number one center. In fact, this might be the strongest forward group Nashville has ever featured.

James Neal is a proven sniper who had a breakout season, largely because he had quality linemates to finally play with.

Lets not forget Filip Forsberg, who proved his rookie season wasn’t a fluke after increasing his goal total from 26 to 33, and increasing his point total by one (64) in year two.

Players who may prove to be difference makers among the secondary scorers: Colin Wilson, Craig Smith, and Viktor Arvidsson.

Advantage: Anaheim Ducks

The Ducks additions of David Perron, Jamie McGinn, Brandon Pirri, and Ryan Garbutt helped fill several holes in their roster. Perron, McGinn, and Pirri are quality complementary players that can produce offense, while Garbutt is more of a role player who plays a style conducive to the playoff atmosphere.

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Anaheim Ducks vs Nashville Predators: X-Factors

John Gibson ANA – How do you beat a team that is difficult to score on? Allow less goals. That means the Ducks rookie with elite potential will need to be a brick-wall.

Jakob Silfverberg ANA – He had 18 points in 16 playoff games in 2015. He also had eight points in his last nine regular season games. These numbers bode well for a guy best known as a defensive-minded two-way forward, so hopefully he continues to find the scoresheet.

Filip Forsberg NSH – Anaheim needs to be careful to stay disciplined with Forsberg on the other side. He only had eight goals (23 points) on the powerplay, but is developing into one of the most dangerous players on the man advantage. The Ducks were the top ranked penalty killers during the regular season, but Forsberg’s vision and Weber’s shot is a deadly combination Anaheim would be wise not to test.

James Neal NSH – Whether its John Gibson or Frederik Andersen in goal for Anaheim, the Preds will need to shoot the puck early and often throughout the game. No other Nashville player shoots the puck as much as Neal. He recorded his second highest total in terms of goals in 2015-16, and recorded four goals, one assist in six games for Nashville last spring. James needs to increase those numbers in 2016 for Nashville to upset Anaheim in the opening round.

Next: Kings vs. Sharks Round 1 Preview

Prediction:

Anaheim Ducks Win Series 4-3