NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Corey Perry’s shot deflected in off Nashville defenseman P.K. Subban’s stick 10:25 into overtime, and the Ducks snapped the Predators’ 10-game home playoff winning streak with a 3-2 victory Thursday night that evened the Western Conference finals at 2-2.

John Gibson made 32 saves for Anaheim, which was the last team to beat the Predators in Nashville in the playoffs last spring in Game 4 of their first-round series.

Rickard Rakell and Nick Ritchie staked the Ducks to a 2-0 lead. But Subban scored with 6:27 left, and Filip Forsberg tied it with 34.5 seconds remaining in regulation with his fourth goal in four games.

The Predators had matched the 1997-98 Detroit Red Wings with their 10-game winning streak but missed matching Colorado’s 11-0 playoff run in 1996-97.

Perry ended the second overtime in this series with a goal originally credited to Nate Thompson. Perry’s shot from near the right boards deflected off Subban’s stick and past goalie Pekka Rinne as the defenseman tried to poke- check the puck away. Perry has three overtime goals this year.

Game 5 is Saturday night in Anaheim.

Advertisement

The Ducks killed off five penalties, including a five-on-three in the third. But the Predators outshot them 11-5 in the third with the late flurry forcing overtime.

Subban scored off a blast from the blue line to revive the standing-room only crowd with Forsberg helping screen Gibson. Then Anaheim defenseman Kevin Bieksa, playing his first game since the opener against Edmonton in the second round, went to the box for high-sticking Forsberg. Just 29 seconds later, defenseman Josh Manson slashed James Neal.

That gave Nashville a five-on-three for 1:31 with 4:38 left. The Predators couldn’t get the puck past Gibson.

Forsberg, who started Nashville’s comeback win in Game 3, ensured overtime crashing the net with two teammates and smashing the puck across the line.

Nashville brought out the inaugural American Idol winner in Kelly Clarkson as the latest big name to sing the national anthem, and rock group Kings of Leon rallying up the crowd by waving from the bandstand in Music City’s latest show of star power. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman also was on hand with a franchise-record 17,423 fans on hand.

The Ducks looked much stronger after a day off Wednesday from Coach Randy Carlyle, and they pounded the Predators up and down the ice. Defenseman Josh Manson even checked Rinne against the boards behind the net late in the second period.

Advertisement

They also dominated the play early and caught the Predators in a line change with a long pass to Rakell leading to a slap shot that beat Rinne at 11:30 of the first. It was the seventh goal this postseason for Rakell, who led the Ducks with 33 goals during the regular season.

Anaheim wound up outshooting Nashville 14-2 in the first period thanks to the Predators being credited for a shot during the intermission. It was the fewest shots ever allowed by the Ducks in a period.

The Predators opened the second with a bit more energy, matching what they put on net in the first period within a minute. But Ritchie gave the Ducks a 2-0 lead at 10:22 with a wrister from the right circle, beating Rinne’s blocker for his fourth this postseason.

NOTES

PENGUINS: Mike Sullivan isn’t in any hurry to announce who will start in goal for the Pittsburgh Penguins in Friday’s critical Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals against Ottawa.

The defending Stanley Cup champions have relied heavily on Marc-Andre Fleury during their run to the NHL’s final four, but he faltered in Game 3, allowing four goals in just over 13 minutes before being pulled for Matt Murray in a 5-1 loss that gave the Senators a 2-1 series lead.

Advertisement

Sullivan doesn’t plan on naming a starter until after his team’s skate Friday morning.

“I’ve said all along, we have two great goalies,” Sullivan said Thursday. “These guys have both helped us win games. They’re terrific goalies and we’re fortunate that we have these guys as part of our team.”

ISLANDERS: New York hired Luke Richardson as an assistant on Doug Weight’s staff and confirmed that assistant Bob Corkum, a former player at the University of Maine, won’t be back.

The 48-year-old Richardson returns to the NHL after being head coach of the AHL’s Binghamton Senators for four seasons and leading Canada to a Spengler Cup championship last year. The former defenseman was an assistant for the Ottawa Senators from 2009-2012.

Four of Wayne Gretzky’s 1980s Oilers dynasty teams are among the 20 “Greatest NHL teams” as voted by fans during the league’s 100th anniversary. Also among the top 20 are three teams from the Montreal Canadiens’ 1970s run and three from the New York Islanders’ 1980s stretch when each dynasty captured four Stanley Cup titles in a row before passing the torch to Edmonton.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.