Predators top Ducks, move within one win of Stanley Cup Final

SATURDAY'S RESULT

PREDATORS RALLY TO MOVE WITHIN ONE WIN OF STANLEY CUP FINAL

Colin Wilson tied the game late in the second period and Pontus Aberg scored the go-ahead goal with 8:59 remaining in regulation to help the Nashville Predators take a 3-2 series lead against the Anaheim Ducks
with a 3-1 victory
and move within one win of reaching the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in franchise history.
* The Predators, who began play in 1998-99 and are competing in their 10th postseason, improved to 11-4 in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs and 11-7 in 18 all-time postseason meetings against the Ducks (7-3 at Anaheim).
* Nashville became the first road team to win a Game 5 in Anaheim since the 2011 Western Conference Quarterfinals, snapping the Ducks' seven-game winning streak in such contests. The Predators posted a 4-3 overtime victory in that game to take a 3-2 series lead before earning a series-clinching win on home ice in Game 6.
* The Predators own a 3-2 series lead for the third time in franchise history. They have won Game 6 in each of the two previous instances: the 2011 Western Conference Quarterfinals vs. Anaheim and the 2017 Second Round vs. the St. Louis Blues.
* Aberg, a second-round selection (No. 37) in the 2012 NHL Draft, scored his first career playoff goal (1-1-2 in 11 GP). The 23-year-old Stockholm native scored in his third career regular-season game on Nov. 17, 2016 at the Ottawa Senators and had 1-1-2 in 15 games in 2016-17.

* Wilson (13-11-24) scored his 13th career postseason goal (all w/ Nashville) to move into a tie for the most goals in franchise playoff history and within four points of David Legwand (13-15-28) and Shea Weber (13-15-28) for the most career playoff points in a Predators uniform.
* Pekka Rinne made 32 saves to improve to 11-4 in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs (1.62 GAA, .942 save percentage, 2 SO), including an 8-0 record when allowing fewer than two goals.
* When teams are tied 2-2 in a best-of-7 series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the winner of Game 5 holds an all-time series record of 198-54, including a 5-0 mark this postseason.

COMEBACKS, CLOSE GAMES CONTINUE IN THE 2017 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

The Western Conference Final, which has been tied or within one goal for 89 percent of total playing time (284:38 of 319:49), has seen the winning team overcome a deficit (of any margin) in four of five games -- including all three victories by the Predators.
* The Predators earned their fifth come-from-behind win this postseason, marking the 31st comeback victory overall in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs (77 GP, 40.3%). The NHL record for comeback wins in a postseason was set in 1990, when 45 of 85 games (52.9%) saw the winning team erase a deficit of at least one goal.
* Six of the nine games played in the conference finals thus far have been decided by one goal; two others were decided by two goals following an empty-net goal.

LOOSE PUCKS

Nashville has not lost consecutive games since the regular season, when they lost to the Blues and Islanders on April 2 and April 4, respectively. … Predators forward Filip Forsberg had an assist to extend his point streak to six games (4-2-6). Forsberg has 7-6-13 in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs (15 GP), tied for the most points in a single postseason in franchise history. … The Predators have had 10 different player score a game-winning goal this postseason. … Ducks forward Ryan Getzlaf was fined $10,000 for directing an inappropriate remark toward another on-ice participant in Game 4. … Canada will face Sweden in the 2017 IIHF World Hockey Championship gold medal game on Sunday. Injured Nashville forward Ryan Johansenreceived a visit from his dog and tweeted throughout the Predators' Game 5 victory, which he watched alongside teammate Kevin Fiala.

SNEAK PEEK AT SUNDAY'S ACTION

All Times Eastern
Ottawa @ Pittsburgh, series tied 2-2, 3 p.m., NBC, CBC, TVA Sports