Ducks’ OT win evens series

NASHVILLE, Tenn.— Corey Perry’s shot deflected in off Nashville defenseman P.K. Subban’s stick 10:25 into overtime, and the Ducks snapped the Nashville Predators’ 10-game home playoff winning streak with a 3-2 victory Thursday night that evened the Western Conference final at 2-2.

Anaheim was also the previous team to beat the Predators in Nashville in the playoffs last spring in Game 4 of their first-round series.

Rickard Rakell and Nick Ritchie staked the Ducks to a 2-0 lead. But Subban scored with 6:27 left, and Filip Forsberg tied it with 34.5 seconds remaining in regulation with his fourth goal in four games.

The Predators had matched the 1997-98 Detroit Red Wings with their 10game winning streak but missed matching Colorado’s 11-0 playoff run in 1996-97.

Perry ended the second overtime in this series with a goal originally credited to Nate Thompson.

Perry’s shot from near the right boards deflected off Subban’s stick and past goalie Pekka Rinne as the defenseman tried to pokecheck the puck away. Perry has three overtime goals this year.

The Ducks killed off five penalties, including a 5-on-3 in the third. But the Predators outshot them ,11-5, in the third with the late flurry forcing overtime.

Subban scored off a blast from the blue line to revive the standing-room only crowd. Then Anaheim defenseman Kevin Bieksa, playing his first game since the opener against Edmonton in the second round, went to the box for highsticking Forsberg. Just 29 seconds later, defenseman Josh Manson slashed James Neal.

That gave Nashville a 5 on 3 for 1:31 with 4:38 left. The Predators couldn’t get the puck past Gibson.

Forsberg, who started Nashville’s comeback win in Game 3, ensured overtime crashing the net with two teammates and smashing the puck across the line.

Nashville brought out the inaugural American Idol winner in Kelly Clarkson as the latest big name to sing the national anthem, and rock group Kings of Leon rallying the crowd by waving from the bandstand in Music City’s latest burst of superstar entertainment power.