Preds streak into Anaheim

J.P. Dumont and the Ducks have won three straight.

Monday, January 7th (All times eastern)

Nashville Predators (20-18-2) at Anaheim Ducks (21-17-6), 10 p.m.

The Nashville Predators will go for their fourth win in a row tonight, as they head to Anaheim and the Honda Center to battle the Ducks.

Nashville has won three straight and six of its last eight overall after defeating Minnesota, 4-1, on Saturday. J.P. Dumont and Dan Hamhuis each had a goal and an assist in the win. Martin Gelinas and Martin Erat also lit the lamp.

Dumont posted a goal in his fourth straight game and is now even with Jason Arnott for the team lead in goals with 14. Arnott, who is also tops on the club with 33 points, has just two goals in seven games since notching a hat trick against Los Angeles on December 22.

In 50 career games against the Ducks, Arnott has 15 goals and 13 assists, and is a minus-two.

Dan Ellis was solid between the pipes, stopping 29 shots against the Wild, while Alexander Radulov had two assists to give him five goals and four helpers over a six-game point streak. Radulov is second on the club with 30 points (12 goals, 18 assists).

Nashville plays the first of three in a row on the road tonight, and the club is 8-11-1 as the visiting team this year.

The Ducks were victimized for the second time this year by an old friend, as they fell to Phoenix and Ilya Bryzgalov in a shootout, 3-2, on Saturday.

Peter Mueller was the first skater for the Coyotes and quickly moved in on Ducks netminder Jean-Sebastien Giguere. Mueller then used a quick snap shot that sailed past Giguere low on the right side.

Bryzgalov got some help at the other end, as Todd Bertuzzi’s shot went wide of the net and Ryan Getzlaf lost the puck. Bryzgalov then closed the five-hole and made a pad save on Brandon Bochenski to seal the win for Phoenix.

The Ducks also lost to the Coyotes and Bryzgalov in a shootout on November 23.

Getzlaf and Doug Weight scored for Anaheim, which had a two-game win streak halted. Giguere stopped 32-of-34 shots in defeat.

However, the Anaheim netminder isn’t making the Ducks regret their decision of waiving Bryzgalov. Giguere, who missed a portion of the beginning of the season while recovering from sports hernia surgery, is 16-11-4 with a 2.41 goals-against average in 31 games (30 starts) this season.

Anaheim is third in the Pacific Division, but is just four points back of first-place San Jose. The Ducks tonight play the first of four in a row at home, where they are 12-6-4 and have won three straight.

The Ducks and Predators have met twice so far this year with each team posting a home victory. Nashville has won three of the last five in the series but has lost five straight in Anaheim.

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