What we learned: The Ducks learned their lesson. When they left Honda Center earlier this week, the harsh words from coach Bruce Boudreau were ringing in their ears, after the "stupid" penalties they took losing the first two games at home. On Saturday, Anaheim was more disciplined, especially in the first two periods when it took one penalty and Nashville took five. That disparity had the Predators back on their heels and blunted the early momentum they developed from winning the battle for zone time.
What this means for the Predators: Embrace home cooking. They lost Games 3 and 4 at Bridgestone Arena but it did nothing more than even a series they once led by two games. Now, if they can't find a way to capitalize on the home-ice advantage, their season will be finished much earlier than they hoped it would be. Home teams are 16-23 this postseason.
What this means for the Ducks: The ship has been righted. They were listing badly when they got on the plane for Nashville on April 18 after losing two one-goal games at Honda Center. The Ducks returned the structure to their game, playing physical but disciplined. The results have been stunning. Anaheim has three straight three-goal wins and moved to within one victory of the second round.