Preview: Ducks (5-8) at Predators (8-3)
Date: November 17, 2015 8:00 PM EDT
Carl Hagelin and Ryan Getzlaf scored in Anaheim's last game, which the Ducks hope marks the end of their slumps as the club looks to keep moving past a rough start.
The Nashville Predators contributed to that tough beginning, but a loss to start this month sparked the Ducks' stronger play over the past eight games.
Continuing a four-game trip, the Ducks will try to add to the Western Conference's best record this month with their 10th win in 12 games against the Predators on Tuesday night.
Anaheim went 1-7-2 in October, allowing 27 goals while scoring a league-low 10 before turning it around once November began.
The Ducks (6-8-4) won four straight to start the month before a pair of 4-3 overtime losses to Arizona and Edmonton. A 4-1 defeat against the New York Islanders followed, but Anaheim bounced back Monday with a 4-1 victory over Carolina.
Getzlaf, Hagelin, Shawn Horcoff and Sami Vatanen scored and Anton Khudobin had 24 saves to help the Ducks move to 5-1-2 this month in the opener of the trip.
"This gave us some confidence," Hagelin said. "A lot of lines were feeling good about themselves, especially defensively. That's what you need to do when you play a good team like Nashville."
Hagelin snapped an eight-game drought in the third period after he was benched Friday against the Islanders.
Getzlaf hadn't scored in his first 13 before getting an empty-netter in the final minute. The captain has totaled five goals and six assists in his last nine meetings with Nashville (10-3-3).
The Predators gave Khudobin a tough time in a 5-1 home win Oct. 22, but Frederik Andersen didn't let it happen again Nov. 1 by making 40 saves in Anaheim's 4-2 home win.
"They were a different team the first time they came in here, and it was a game that we didn't expect," defenseman Barret Jackman told the Predators' official website.
"Their identity kind of came through in Anaheim and they were playing more physical, more of a team game and it was everything we could handle. (This) is going to be more of the second game that we saw."
After a 4-0 loss to St. Louis in the opener of a five-game homestand, Nashville has scored seven goals in two victories during a 2-0-1 stretch.
Calle Jarnkrok had a pair of goals and James Neal recorded an assist for the third straight game in Saturday's 7-0 win over Winnipeg.
"We're not going to score seven every game, but our game plan is to get pucks and bodies and traffic and try to get some dirty goals," defenseman Seth Jones said.
Colin Wilson has a goal and three assists in the two meetings with Anaheim, though it's his only tally in 16 games so far. The winger has scored in each of the last two at home against the Ducks.
The Predators might have a difficult time piling up goals with Andersen expected to be between the pipes. He has a 2.46 goals-against average while winning all four of his starts against them.
Nashville's Pekka Rinne, coming off his second shutout of the season, is 7-2-2 with a 1.94 GAA in 11 home starts against the Ducks.
Eric Nystrom is out with an upper-body injury, while fellow forward Paul Gaustad is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
Date: November 17, 2015 8:00 PM EDT
Carl Hagelin and Ryan Getzlaf scored in Anaheim's last game, which the Ducks hope marks the end of their slumps as the club looks to keep moving past a rough start.
The Nashville Predators contributed to that tough beginning, but a loss to start this month sparked the Ducks' stronger play over the past eight games.
Continuing a four-game trip, the Ducks will try to add to the Western Conference's best record this month with their 10th win in 12 games against the Predators on Tuesday night.
Anaheim went 1-7-2 in October, allowing 27 goals while scoring a league-low 10 before turning it around once November began.
The Ducks (6-8-4) won four straight to start the month before a pair of 4-3 overtime losses to Arizona and Edmonton. A 4-1 defeat against the New York Islanders followed, but Anaheim bounced back Monday with a 4-1 victory over Carolina.
Getzlaf, Hagelin, Shawn Horcoff and Sami Vatanen scored and Anton Khudobin had 24 saves to help the Ducks move to 5-1-2 this month in the opener of the trip.
"This gave us some confidence," Hagelin said. "A lot of lines were feeling good about themselves, especially defensively. That's what you need to do when you play a good team like Nashville."
Hagelin snapped an eight-game drought in the third period after he was benched Friday against the Islanders.
Getzlaf hadn't scored in his first 13 before getting an empty-netter in the final minute. The captain has totaled five goals and six assists in his last nine meetings with Nashville (10-3-3).
The Predators gave Khudobin a tough time in a 5-1 home win Oct. 22, but Frederik Andersen didn't let it happen again Nov. 1 by making 40 saves in Anaheim's 4-2 home win.
"They were a different team the first time they came in here, and it was a game that we didn't expect," defenseman Barret Jackman told the Predators' official website.
"Their identity kind of came through in Anaheim and they were playing more physical, more of a team game and it was everything we could handle. (This) is going to be more of the second game that we saw."
After a 4-0 loss to St. Louis in the opener of a five-game homestand, Nashville has scored seven goals in two victories during a 2-0-1 stretch.
Calle Jarnkrok had a pair of goals and James Neal recorded an assist for the third straight game in Saturday's 7-0 win over Winnipeg.
"We're not going to score seven every game, but our game plan is to get pucks and bodies and traffic and try to get some dirty goals," defenseman Seth Jones said.
Colin Wilson has a goal and three assists in the two meetings with Anaheim, though it's his only tally in 16 games so far. The winger has scored in each of the last two at home against the Ducks.
The Predators might have a difficult time piling up goals with Andersen expected to be between the pipes. He has a 2.46 goals-against average while winning all four of his starts against them.
Nashville's Pekka Rinne, coming off his second shutout of the season, is 7-2-2 with a 1.94 GAA in 11 home starts against the Ducks.
Eric Nystrom is out with an upper-body injury, while fellow forward Paul Gaustad is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.