The Predators salvaged a point with a two-goal rally in the third, but a shootout victory for the Ducks forced Nashville to exit Honda Center unsatisfied on Sunday night in Anaheim.
A sluggish first period, and later three goals allowed in the second, established an uphill battle for the Predators to fight. Goals from Craig Smith and Rocco Grimaldi tied the game in the third frame, but after Ryan Getzlaf netted the winner in the shootout, Nashville went back to thinking about what could have been. After a back-to-back set in Southern California, the Predators will return to Music City with three out of a possible four points.
"In the first, we came up flat," Preds Captain Roman Josi said. "Thanks to [goaltender Juuse Saros] it was only 1-1 [after the first period]... in the second, we actually played better, but we took too many penalties, and that kind of cost us. It was great for us to come back, and we had some chances in OT too, but I wish we would've got two points in the shootout."
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