Saros, Predators hold off Ducks for third straight win

NASHVILLE --Juuse Saros made 27 saves and the Nashville Predators defeated the Anaheim Ducks 4-1 at Bridgestone Arena on Thursday.

Saros is 3-0-0 in his past three starts with 0.67 goals-against average, a .972 save percentage, and one shutout (8-0 win against the San Jose Sharks on March 5).
"We have a great goaltender, and he helps us a lot," Nashville defenseman Mattias Ekholm said. "I can't credit him enough, to be honest with you. I think he's one of, if not the best goaltender in the world right now.
"I thought tonight we got a little loose at times, gave up some shots and some odd-man rushes we don't want. But there he is, standing in for us."

Matt Duchene scored twice and had an assist, and Filip Forsberg had a goal and two assists for the Predators (33-20-4), who have outscored their opponents 14-2 during a three-game win streak.
Adam Henrique scored, and John Gibson made 26 saves for the Ducks (27-24-9), who lost for the third time in the past four games and are 2-5-0 in the past seven.
Anaheim played without forward Trevor Zegras who was a late scratch with an upper-body injury. Earlier in the day, forwards Jakob Silfverberg (undisclosed) and Ryan Getzlaf (lower body) were placed on injured reserve.
"It's hard when you're missing a lot of guys, especially [Zegras] and [Getzlaf] who bring that offensive side to us," Ducks forward Troy Terry said. "It's hard. That's a good hockey team that we just played, a team that doesn't give you a whole lot to work with offensively. At the end of the day, we had our chances. I had my chances and I've got to score."
Duchene made it 1-0 at 10:53 of the first period with a power-play goal. It was set up by a pair of cross-ice passes, ending with Forsberg finding Duchene at the right post.
Forsberg gave the Predators a 2-0 lead at 11:41 of the second period off a pass across the top of the crease from Duchene.
"[Being linemates with Duchene all season] definitely helps and it builds chemistry in practice," Forsberg said. "I think we think the game pretty much the same way. We both try to create offense for one another. We both can pass, both can shoot, so I think it's something we've got to keep doing."

Anaheim made it 2-1 at 14:14 of the third period when Henrique redirected Josh Mahura's shot from the left boards.
Colton Sissons extended Nashville's lead to 3-1 at 17:30 with a slap shot from the top of the right circle. The goal came 18 seconds after the Predators killed off a Ducks power play.
"We never want to accept losing and this is about winning each and every day," Anaheim coach Dallas Eakins said. "I thought our guys battled hard. I thought they gave us about everything that they could. We were able to hang in there and swing away with them. They were fortunate to get a couple bounces their way and we didn't. That's a really sound hockey team and obviously a lineup that's full."
Duchene scored an empty-net goal at 18:19 for the 4-1 final.
"We were pretty average tonight, but found a way to get it done," he said. "We got some big saves, and special teams were big. You're not going to be at you're best every night, but we still found a way."
NOTES:Forward Sam Steel left the game at 16:17 of the third after taking a puck to the face. Eakins did not have an update on Steel or Zegras postgame. … Duchene's second goal of the game moved him into the team's goal-scoring lead (29) and extended his points streak to four games (six goals, two assists). Forsberg is second with 28. … Anaheim recalled forwards Danny O'Regan,
Vinni Lettieri
and Buddy Robinson from San Diego of the American Hockey League on Thursday. O'Regan had one shot on goal and one hit in 9:45 of ice time; Robinson had one shot, two hits and one blocked shot in 10:05 of ice time; Lettieri had one shot and one hit in 12:41 of ice time. … Anaheim defenseman Andrej Sustr had one shot on goal, two hits and two blocked shots in 18:54 of ice time after being claimed off waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 8. Sustr played five games with the Ducks in 2018-19 before signing with Kunlun of the Kontinental Hockey League on June 7, 2019. … Nashville defenseman Roman Josi had an assist to extend his points streak to four games (one goal, seven assists).