Predators pounce on Ducks, take 3-2 series lead

(TSX / STATS) -- ANAHEIM, Calif. -- In the battle of attrition that was Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, an unheralded and relatively unknown player made the play to place the Nashville Predators on the doorstep of the Stanley Cup finals.

Pontus Aberg's first career playoff goal was the decisive score as the Predators defeated the Anaheim Ducks 3-1 on Saturday.

The Predators lead the series 3-2, with Game 6 scheduled for Monday night in Tennessee. Nashville will have an opportunity to clinch the first Stanley Cup finals berth in franchise history.

Colin Wilson and Austin Watson scored the other Nashville goals, and Pekka Rinne stopped 32 of 33 Anaheim shots.

The Ducks' goal was scored by Chris Wagner. Anaheim starting goaltender John Gibson left the game after the first period with a lower-body injury and did not return. Jonathan Bernier took the loss while stopping 16 of 18 shots after Gibson turned aside all 10 shots he faced.

Watson's empty-net goal at 19:12 of the third period completed the scoring.

Both teams were missing significant players due to injuries.

The Predators started the game without their two top centers, Ryan Johansen and Mike Fisher. The Ducks lost high-scoring winger Rickard Rakell just before the start of the game with a lower-body injury and then Gibson after the first 20 minutes with a lower-body injury.

The Stanley Cup playoffs often make heroes out of lesser lights, and Aberg continues that legacy. He had registered only one assist in eight games this postseason and appeared in only 15 career regular-season games.

Frederick Gaudreau, one of the centers pressed into service for Nashville, appeared in his first NHL playoff game and his 10th career game.

"The term I would use to describe this effort is gutsy," Predators coach Peter Laviolette said. "For a guy like Pontus, it a matter of stepping up when it is your time to produce. I also thought Gaudreau was excellent considering how little he played for us."

Predators center Vernon Fiddler said Laviolette's pregame talk went a long way toward convincing the team that it had a chance to win the game without its top two centers.

"Peter is such a great motivator," Fiddler said. "After he was done with his speech, we did not do the pregame warmup, we were ready to play the game."

Despite holding a significant advantage at center, the Ducks failed to execute against the Predators and now face the task of winning consecutive games to advance to their first Stanley Cup finals since 2007.

Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle was disappointed with the team's execution but is optimistic the Ducks can bring forth an effort to extend the series to a Game 7 on Wednesday at Honda Center.

"I like our first pass, I didn't like our second pass," Carlyle said. "We have won in Nashville before, and there is no reason we cannot go into that building and win Monday."

Wagner said that despite the injuries to Rakell and Gibson, his team did not give the necessary effort to gain control of the series.

"At this point, we can't make an excuse," Wagner said. "It's a long season; guys get hurt. We need to step up."

The Predators took a 2-1 lead on Aberg's goal at 11:01 of the third period. Aberg wristed the rebound of a Filip Forsberg shot while falling to the ice for the score with Mattias Ekholm drawing the secondary assist.

Nashville had tied the score at 1 on Wilson's power-play goal, his second goal of the playoffs, at 19:19 of the second period. Wilson converted a backhand shot of an initial shot from P.K. Subban from the right point.

Colton Sissons had the primary assist after he battled Anaheim defenseman Cam Fowler to give Wilson time and space to beat Bernier at the left post.

Anaheim took a 1-0 lead on Wagner's second goal of the playoffs at 12:46 of the second period. Brandon Montour penetrated into the deep slot for a wrist shot that Rinne could not control. Wagner followed the play to the net to convert the rebound.

NOTES: Nashville scratched C Ryan Johansen, C Mike Fisher, D Anthony Bittetto, RW P.A. Parenteau, C Craig Smith, D Brad Hunt, LW Harry Zolnierczyk, G Marek Mazanec and LW Vladislav Kamenev. Johansen sustained a season-ending thigh injury in Game 4 that required surgery with an expected recovery time of two to three months. Fisher left Game 4 in the third period with an undisclosed injury. ... Anaheim did not dress C Rickard Rakell, D Korbinian Holzer, RW Patrick Eaves, C Logan Shaw, D Shea Theodore, C Sam Carrick and G Jhonas Enroth. LW Nicolas Kerdiles replaced Rakell.