NHL Game Summary - Nashville at Anaheim
(Saturday, January 26th)
Final Score: Anaheim 3, Nashville 2 (SO)
Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Viktor Fasth came out a winner in his NHL debut
when he stopped David Legwand in the final portion of a shootout Saturday
night to give the Anaheim Ducks a 3-2 triumph over the Nashville Predators.
Signed as an undrafted free agent on May 21, 2012, the 30-year-old Fasth, the
starting goaltender for the Swedish national team at that year's World
Championship, had 19 saves.
"He's as cool as a cucumber," Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. "That's the
demeanor you have to have to be successful. He was pretty relaxed. It was a
great debut for him."
Corey Perry scored the lone shootout goal for the Ducks, who suffered their
second home-opening shutout in franchise history with a 5-0 loss to the
Vancouver Canucks on Friday.
A night later, the Ducks were able to finally solve the Predators. Nashville
swept the season series last year and had won the previous six meetings.
Bobby Ryan and Daniel Winnik lit the lamp in regulation for the Ducks, who
have won three of their first four games.
Legwand and Brandon Yip scored for the Predators, who also got 20 saves from
Pekka Rinne. Nashville has played in three shootouts thus far, losing each of
those games this season.
Martin Erat hit the crossbar and Mike Fisher was denied by Fasth's pads. Ryan
Getzlaf was stopped by Rinne's glove in the shootout, but on Anaheim's second
attempt Perry skated through the right circle before firing the puck between
the legs of Rinne.
Legwand then had a backhand try, but the puck caromed off Fasth's glove and
was still floating toward the goal. Fasth reached back to keep the disc from
going into the net.
"I've been waiting for this moment for 30 years now," Fasth said in a post-
game interview. "The game is faster you have to stay alert all the time."
Yip scored 1:52 into the game on a rebound to the left side of the net.
Ryan redirected a right point shot from Cam Fowler past Rinne with 33 seconds
left in the second period.
Legwand put in the rebound from in front off a slot shot from Kevin Klein at
the 10:09 mark of the third period, but the Ducks tied it just 63 seconds
later.
Winnik became the first player in Ducks history to net five goals in the
team's first four regular season games when he scored off a feed from Perry.
Perry skated with the disc through the left circle and delivered a perfect
backhand cross-crease pass to Winnik for the goal.
Legwand and Ryan were both denied on close chances in overtime. Fowler had a
great backhand chance from in front two minutes into OT, but his attempt went
wide.
"We had a good start, we got the lead, but they responded well," Nashville
coach Barry Trotz said. "You need some luck. We just haven't scored enough
goals."
Game Notes
This was the third stop of a franchise record tying seven-game road swing for
the Predators ... Nashville right wing Patric Hornqvist was helped off the ice
midway through the third period with what appeared to be a leg and knee
injury. He was hit by a shot from teammate Shea Weber in the right thigh.
After fighting through that injury, Hornqvist's knee was collapsed on by a
Ducks player.
01/27 01:42:08 ET
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