Josi, Rinne propel Predators past Ducks

ANAHEIM -- Defenseman Roman Josi had a goal and an assist to help the Nashville Predators to a 5-3 win against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center on Friday.
Scott Hartnell, Viktor Arvidsson, Matt Irwin and P.K. Subban also scored, Frederick Gaudreau had two assists for his first NHL multipoint game, and Pekka Rinne had 35 saves for Nashville (6-5-2).

WATCH: [All Predators vs. Ducks highlights]
Hampus Lindholm, Antoine Vermette and Jakob Silfverberg scored for Anaheim (6-6-1), and John Gibson made 25 saves.
It was their first game since the Western Conference Final last season, which Nashville won in six games.
The Predators were last in the NHL in 5-on-5 goals with 13, but scored three against the Ducks.
"You can't expect to win games when you're letting in [three] even-[strength] goals," Lindholm said.

The Ducks trailed 4-1 in the final minute of the second period but Lindholm made it 4-2 on the power play with 15 seconds remaining. Silfverberg's goal off an odd-man rush at 7:41 of the third period cut Nashville's lead to 4-3.
Rinne improved to 14-6-5 against the Ducks in his NHL career. He also assisted on Subban's empty-net goal with 18 seconds left.
"The second half I thought we played pretty well," Ducks forward Chris Wagner said. "We were involved in every aspect of the game. We have to carry that into tomorrow [at the San Jose Sharks]."
The Predators led after the first period for the third time this season after goals by Hartnell (6:26) and Josi (19:11) gave them a 2-0 advantage.
The Ducks killed two penalties in the first four minutes, but Hartnell scored 31 seconds after the second one ended off an assist from Josi.
Nashville coach Peter Laviolette moved Hartnell to the top line with Ryan Johansen and Arvidsson to try and create more scoring. The Predators has not scored more than two goals in their past six games.
Josi brought the puck into the Anaheim zone and skated to the top of the right circle before sending a shot toward the net. Hartnell had cut toward the crease and was sliding to a stop when the puck hit his right skate and was redirected past Gibson.

Nashville then killed back-to-back minor penalties before taking a 2-0 lead.
Josi kept the puck on his stick as he drifted across the high slot until he saw an opening and sent his shot off the inside of the right post for his fourth goal of the season, tying for the NHL lead among defensemen with Alex Pietrangelo of the St. Louis Blues, Mikhail Sergachev of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Brandon Montour of the Ducks.
"I thought we had a pretty good period 5-on-5," Josi said. "It was a good first for us and, obviously, huge to grab a 2-0 lead."
Irwin made it 3-0 when he scored from the right point off a face-off win by Gaudreau in the offensive zone at 3:05 of the second period.
The Ducks made it 3-1 at 4:24 after Nick Ritchie sent a cross-ice pass to Ondrej Kase, who passed it back to the opposite side to Vermette, and he had time to settle the puck and score before Rinne could slide over.
Ritchie went to the penalty box with his third minor penalty of the game and Arvidsson scored on a one-timer from the right circle for a 4-1 lead at 17:20.
"I didn't think we handled the puck and controlled the puck at all. We were making passes at our teammates' feet," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "It starts with execution. If you can't make a tape-to-tape pass and share the puck with your teammates, you're going to have a difficult time getting through the neutral ice."

Goal of the game

Josi's goal with 49 seconds left in the first period.

Save of the game

Rinne's pad save on Vermette at 4:03 of the third period.

Highlight of the game

Silfverberg's goal at 7:41 of the third period.

They said it

"Every game you want that first goal. You want to play with the lead. You don't want to chase it all night, and that's even bigger when you're on the road." -- Predators defenseman Matt Irwin

"We didn't come out like we wanted to in the first period there and no emotions, really, and that's something we need to clean up." -- Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm

Need to know

Ducks forward Derek Grant assisted on Silfverberg's goal to give him seven points (three goals, four assists) in the past seven games after he had no goals and seven assists in his first 92 NHL games over the past five seasons. … Kase has eight points (five goals, three assists) in 10 games. … Irwin's goal was his first point of the season. … Predators defenseman Yannick Weber had an assist for his first point of the season.

#

What's next

Predators:At the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday (10:30 p.m. ET; FS-W, FS-TN, NHL.TV)
Ducks:At the San Jose Sharks on Saturday (10:30 p.m. ET; NBCSCA, PRIME, NHL.TV)