Nashville kicks off with win

Neal scores in OT to open series 1-0

ANAHEIM, Calif. — James Neal scored 9:24 into overtime, and the visiting Nashville Predators kicked off their first appearance in the Western Conference finals with a 3-2 victory against the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night.

Pekka Rinne made 27 saves for the Predators, who continued their surge through these Stanley Cup playoffs with a strong start and a gritty overtime effort after Hampus Lindholm’s first playoff goal in two years tied it for the Ducks.

Filip Forsberg and Austin Watson scored in regulation for Nashville, which improved to 9-2 in the postseason.

Jakob Silfverberg scored on the Ducks’ first shot, and John Gibson stopped 43 shots. Just two days after finishing off Edmonton, Anaheim struggled to keep up at times with the more-rested Predators.

Neal put a long shot past a sprawled Gibson after a prolonged threat by the Predators that left Anaheim’s defense in disarray. The goal was the veteran forward’s third in four games.

Although this conference final matches two Sun Belt clubs 2,000 miles apart, they have a feisty history. Anaheim and Nashville are meeting in the postseason for the third time, including the past two seasons.

Nashville twice won Game 1 and went on to claim the previous two series with major help from Rinne, who usually has been at his inimitable best when facing the Ducks’ scorers.

Rinne picked up right where he left off last season when Nashville eliminated Anaheim from the first round in seven games, but Gibson responded with a second sconsecutive superb playoff performance.

The Ducks were back on the Honda Center ice two days after their Game 7 victory against Edmonton to reach the conference finals for the second time in three years.

Anaheim had little time to recover from that grueling second-round series, and it showed in an occasionally slow-footed performance.

Game 2 is Sunday night.

Note

Ben Bishop signed a sixyear, $29.5 million deal with Dallas. The announcement came three days after the team acquired rights to the 30-year-old goalie from the Los Angeles Kings. Dallas gave up a fourth-round pick in the draft for the experienced net-minder.