It’s unclear if the Anaheim Ducks are tired, the Nashville Predators are just flat-out faster/relentless or if Game 1 is about a combination of those factors, but either way, the Preds are carrying play halfway through.
After the Ducks went up 1-0 on their first shot of the Western Conference Final, the Predators kept throwing wave after wave of pressure at John Gibson. The Ducks might have been lucky to limit Filip Forsberg to the only Nashville goal of the first period.
Speaking of firsts, Auston Watson scored his first career postseason goal to put Nashville up 2-1 ... their first-ever lead in a Western Conference Final.
Austin Watson scored his 1st career playoff goal (11 GP) to give @PredsNHL a 2-1 lead in Game 1 (his first goal since March 13). #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/Ye7GpmbPDn
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) May 13, 2017
Check out the 2-1 goal above the headline and Forsberg’s tying tally from the first below.