The excitement will reach a fever pitch in Anaheim when the lights come up for the Predators and Ducks in one of the most exciting events in sports: Game 7.
This is the second do or die game of the 2015-16 Stanley Cup playoffs as the Blues bounced the Blackhawks from the postseason on home ice in the winner-take-all game at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis on Monday. The Ducks are all too familiar with Game 7s, while the Predators will get their first taste.
It's been a topsy-turvy series to this point, with Nashville winning Games 1 and 2 on the road and Anaheim responding with two victories of their own away from home-ice to tie things up. The Ducks then became the first home team to win in this series in Game 5, while the Predators roared back at Bridgestone Arena with a 3-1 victory in Game 6 on Monday.
Here are seven storylines heading into Game 7.
1) Dead Ducks
This storyline has a grisly familiarity to it as far as Anaheim is concerned. For the past three postseasons, the Ducks have faced a Game 7 on home ice and they've lost every last one of them. In 2012-13, the Ducks fell to the Red Wings in the opening round. The following season, they lost to the Kings in the second round of a series that went the distance. Last season, they dropped a Game 7 to the Blackhawks in the Western Conference Finals. The Kings and Blackhawks each went on to lift the Stanley Cup. The Ducks are 2-5 in Game 7s in their history and will look to fight off their demons.
2) 7th Heaven
Unlike their opponents, the Predators have no experience -- good or bad -- in Game 7. This will mark the first in club history. This is just the 11th playoff series in franchise history for the Nashville and it owns a 2-8 record through its first 10. Nashville has played in series that have gone six games six times.
3) The Coaches
While his current team has no experience in Game 7s, Peter Laviolette will be coaching in one for the fifth time in his career. Laviolette owns a 4-1 record in such contests and has been the bench boss in them with the Islanders, Flyers and Hurricanes. The words "Game 7" must keep Bruce Boudreau up at night as he has overseen the Ducks' last three playoff collapses in those games and is 1-6 overall in his career.
4) Power(less) Play
Though the Predators are one victory away from moving on to Round 2 for the first time since the 2011-12 season, their power play has left a lot to be desired. Nashville is a ghastly 1-for-23 on the man-advantage thus far in the series. The Ducks penalty kill owns an NHL-best 95.7 percent success rate through the first round.
5) Corey's Story
It's been a frustrating and vexing series to this point for the usual prolific scorer Corey Perry. One of the Ducks' leaders, Perry, 30, has yet to find the back of the net in this series after scoring 34 goals in the regular season and cultivating 32 tallies in his playoff career. The pesky Perry has four assists in the postseason, but he is a minus-6 and has taken three penalties. The Ducks are going up against an elite defense in the NHL, spearheaded by Predators captain Shea Weber and Roman Josi.
6) Leading The Way
While Perry has struggled, the Ryans have helped lead the Ducks into this Game 7. Captain Ryan Getzlaf (two goals, three assists) has a team-best five points in the set, while Ryan Kesler's three goals have paced the team. Colin Wilson (one goal, three assists) and Weber (two tallies, two helpers) each have four points for the Predators, while James Neal and Mattias Ekholm each have lit the lamp twice.
7) Battle Between The Pipes
Frederik Andersen, 26, took over in the blue paint for John Gibson in Game 3 and helped the Ducks get back into the series. Thus far, he's 3-1 with a 1.26 goals-against average and a .955 save percentage in this series. Andersen is 17-8 in 27 playoff games. Pekka Rinne is a huge X-factor in this game as he's an all-world goaltender, but has had some struggles this season and in Games 3, 4 and 5. Rinne, 33, is 3-3 this series with a 2.68 GAA and a .901 save percentage. Overall, he is 18-22 in 40 playoff appearances.
