For the very first time in their history, the Nashville Predators are set to play a Game 7 to decide a series. They've earned their spot in this one after winning Game 6 on their home ice with their backs against the wall. Now, the pressure shifts to the Anaheim Ducks, who don't exactly have a history of performing at their best in these all-or-nothing situations.
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ODDS ANALYSIS
The oddsmakers always seem to have a tough time lining these Game 7s, and this one won't be an exception. Anaheim has been lined as the major favorite in each of these games at the Honda Center and was basically a pick 'em in all three of the games played at Bridgestone Arena.
There's no doubt that the public is going to ride the Ducks, who have still won three of the last four in this series.
Totals have been split fairly evenly in the first six games between these two. Three of the six games have finished exactly on the total of five goals, while Game 6 marked the second time a duel stayed under the number.
GOALIE REPORT
Successful goalkeeping in the playoffs comes down to how well you respond to adversity. It's not that Frederik Andersen was bad in Game 6, but the two goals he allowed were just one too many to get the job done.
With John Gibson now firmly supplanted as the top goalie for Bruce Boudreau, this game clearly belongs to Andersen. He's got a .955 save percentage and a 1.26 GAA in this series, but this is the biggest game of his career.
The raw numbers for Pekka Rinne aren't great in this series. He's only got a 2.68 GAA and a poor .901 save percentage, but he had a fantastic night in Game 6 to get his team to one of its biggest games ever. Rinne has only had a GAA better than 2.50 in one season in the playoffs in his career, but none of that will matter if he comes up with as many big saves as he had in Game 6.
LIVE BETTING
Where have you gone in this series, Corey Perry? Perry scored 34 goals in the regular season, but he has yet to tickle the twine in six games against Nashville. Last year in 16 playoff games, Perry had 10 goals and eight assists, and that's why the Ducks made it to the Western Conference Finals.
If you had told us at the beginning of this series that Perry, Jakob Silfverberg and Ryan Getzlaf only combined for two goals in six games, we'd tell you Anaheim was on its way home. The Ducks are fortunate they're still in it from that standpoint, but they could always end up being explosive in this game.
QUICK PICK
The matchup between the top defensive pairing for the Predators with Roman Josi and Shea Weber and the top two lines for the Ducks will be crucial here for sure. Though Anaheim has been the better of these two teams by a small amount as we see it, it's been because of its third and fourth lines, not its top six skaters.
We just don't know if the Ducks can win this series without getting huge contributions from their studs. With a price of at least +140 on our side, we'll take our chances that the Preds find a way to grind out a Game 7 win and send the underachieving Ducks home early once again.
NHL Odds: Predators 2, Ducks 1
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