Predators sweep 5-game road trip with win against Ducks

ANAHEIM – Filip Forsberg had a goal and an assist for the Nashville Predators, who swept a five-game road trip with a 4-2 win against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center on Sunday.

Roman Josi, Michael McCarron and Gustav Nyquist also scored, Dante Fabbro had two assists, and Kevin Lankinen made 29 saves for the Predators (32-25-2), who won all five games of a road trip for the first time in their history.

Nashville was coming off a 4-2 win at the San Jose Sharks on Saturday.

"We're really playing for each other through this stretch of games," Nashville coach Andrew Brunette said. "That was a really gutsy effort tonight on a hard back-to-back at the end of a road trip where you can lose your focus."

McCarron said the Predators bore down following a 9-2 loss at home to the Dallas Stars on Feb. 15.

"I think it ruffled some feathers in our room," he said. "It just goes to show our leadership and our coaching staff and our younger guys, we all pulled the same rope on this road trip. It was tough with the time change and everything, and it feels amazing coming out of this trip undefeated."

Brett Leason had a goal and an assist, and Isac Lundestrom scored for the Ducks (20-35-3), who have lost three in a row (0-2-1). Lukas Dostal made 25 saves.

"We deserved a better fate. That hurts," Ducks coach Greg Cronin said. "We played them better this game than we did the other two games, and we won them."

Josi gave the Predators a 1-0 lead at 1:00 of the second period with a one-timer from just inside the blue line off a pass from Forsberg.

Lundestrom tied it 1-1 at 11:55. He received a backhand touch pass from Max Jones as he entered the offensive zone before beating Lankinen five-hole on a partial breakaway.

"It was two good plays," Lundestrom said. "[Leason] first off the board and then [Jones] with a good spin-o-rama there, and I was wide open in the middle."

Forsberg put the Predators ahead 2-1 at 3:26 of the third period with a wrist shot from the high slot.

"They had two floater shots that go in," Cronin said. "That hurts. That's a game we could have won."

McCarron pushed it to 3-1 at 8:43, putting in a rebound in front after Dostal saved Fabbro’s slap shot from the point.

McCarron was the 15th different Nashville player to score on the trip.

"The big line has been great all year," Brunette said. "Scored a big goal tonight, but it's nice to see those other lines starting to come a little bit."

Leason cut it to 3-2 at 17:36, scoring off a pass from Mason McTavish from behind the net with Dostal on the bench for an extra attacker.

"Anytime you're out of the lineup and you get back in, you want to make an impact," said Leason, who was playing for the first time since Feb. 9. "I thought I had a good game. Unfortunately, we couldn't get the win."

Nyquist scored an empty-net goal at 17:58 for the 4-2 final.

"We kind of realized what we need to do to be a winning team, and this was a huge week for us playing some good opponents on the road," Lankinen said. "Boys are feeling good, but still being humble and keeping working at it, so we're looking forward to what's coming next."

NOTES: Nashville's longest road-winning streak in franchise history is nine games, set during the 2017-18 season. ... The Predators are 16-4-2 away from home since Nov. 24, earning the most road points in the NHL in that span (34). ... Forsberg has 26 points (10 goals, 16 assists) in 24 career games against Anaheim.