Preview: Ducks Shoot for Season Sweep of Preds Tonight in Nashville

The Ducks will cap a three-game road trip with a visit to Music City, tonight facing off with the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena.

PUCK DROP: 5 P.M. PT | WHERE TO WATCH | AUDIO: DUCKS STREAM | NHL GAMECENTER

Anaheim looks to end the trip and head home with three of six possible standings points after a hard-fought 4-3 overtime loss in Dallas two nights ago. The Ducks twice fought back from early one-goal deficits, sparked by Leo Carlsson's two-goal night, but would ultimately fall in the extra session on Mikael Granlund's game-winner. The loss denied Anaheim a three-game season sweep of the Stars, owners of the Western Conference's second-best record.

"It was a good third period for us, lots of chances," Carlsson said. "A lot of sloppy play in the first two periods and gave up a lot of chances there, but bounced back strong [in the third]."

"I'll say the first 32 minutes, Dallas controlled the play," head coach Greg Cronin said. "They were outshooting us. Then we got a big boost from the special teams. A couple of big kills and then we had some zone time. I think that gave us some energy. I really liked that third period a lot."

Despite the loss, the Ducks continue to see growth from the club's young core on both ends of the ice, but particularly on the offensive end - where Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier and Mason McTavish have led the way. That trio has combined for 40 points in 14 games since the 4 Nations Face-Off break, with Carlsson and McTavish tied for 22nd among all NHL scorers in that span.

"[Carlsson] is skating more and I think he's got more confidence," Cronin said. "Leo and all these young kids have been terrific. I thought Cutter Gauthier and [Nikita] Nesterenko was terrific. [Mason McTavish] and [Trevor Zegras], too. The young kids in the second half of that game were really terrific."

Gauthier owns 12 even-strength points since the break, tied with Connor McDavid and Jason Robertson for fifth in the NHL.

"He brings speed to his shift," Cronin said. "He's got elite speed and he's able to put pressure on teams. He's strong enough to shield pucks...When you have guys with speed across your lines like that, it helps you find balance on the ice."

The Ducks now enter play Thursday with a 29-31-8 record (66 points), nine points back of a Wild Card berth with 14 games still to play.

"I think the whole team is energized by being on the fringe of this playoff race," Cronin said. "It's unfortunate we couldn't get a win, but I think they understand what we need to do to be a playoff-type team, regardless of what happens."

Anaheim and Nashville tonight meet for the second time in a week, after the Ducks earned a 2-1 victory last Friday night at Honda Center. Troy Terry and Alex Killorn scored for Anaheim that night, with the latter breaking a 1-1 tie midway through the third period. Lukas Dostal stopped 28-of-29 shots in one of his best performances of the season.

"Some of these games coming down the stretch, you're not always getting as many shots as you want, or whatever," Killorn said. "It's kind of a greasy game, for lack of a better word. But we found a way to win and I'm really proud of the guys, especially when we killed that 3 on 5 and we got momentum off that, for sure."

The Preds have dropped an OT decision to the Kings and a 4-1 final to the Blues in the days since their trip to Orange County, immediately following a four-game win streak with three straight defeats.

“We just consistently can’t do certain things night after night,” Predators coach Andrew Brunette told NHL.com's Robby Stanley. “It’s almost like it’s not much fun and we don’t want to do it. We gave [St. Louis] free offense.”

“It’s tough right now,” forward Zachary L'Heureux added. “I think we’ve just got to keep with it. We'll go over some video, see what we can change and then just come ready to play with that same emotion and that same energy on Thursday.”

Nashville (25-34-8, 58 points) sits seventh in the Central Division, 27 points out of a playoff spot.