Predators steal Game 1 from Ducks

ANAHEIM, Calif. — For six days the Predators had to wait to start their first-round series against the Ducks, longer than any of the other 15 NHL teams that qualified for the playoffs. They impressively announced their presence Friday in a 3-2 victory, taking a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

"We've had a couple days here in Anaheim and just excited to get going," said Predators forward James Neal, who scored the second-fastest opening goal in Predators playoff history 35 seconds into the first period. "It's tough watching. You want to start playing, so I like the way our team played tonight."

Predictions on this series skewed heavily in favor of the Ducks, whose 34-10-5 post-Christmas record was the NHL’s best and led many to believe that a Stanley Cup was in their not-too-distant future.

Nashville, however, did not cower in the face of those challenges, playing Anaheim evenly throughout Friday's game and stealing home-ice advantage. The Predators and Ducks jostled over control, with each team seizing it at various points.

Nashville trailed 2-1 early in the second period after Ducks forward Ryan Kesler, a noted postseason nemesis of Nashville's from a 2011 series against Vancouver, scored past a screened Pekka Rinne.

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Predators forward Colin Wilson, who set a franchise record last April for most goals in a single playoff series with five, tipped in defenseman Ryan Ellis' pass to tie the score a few minutes later, demonstrating the back-and-forth pace of the game.

"We went down the ice, got a chance, they came down the ice, got a chance," Ellis said. "I thought they played a great game. That's a great hockey team, and 3-2 is exactly what we kind of expected the result to be."

All three of the Predators' goals were the result of net-front presence. Forward Filip Forsberg's game-winning goal with less than 10 minutes left in regulation clipped Ducks defenseman Shea Theodore's skate as Forsberg attempted to set up forward Craig Smith, lurking nearby.

"It was a big win for sure, but we don't really look more forward than the next game and getting ready for Game 2," Forsberg said. "It's going to be a really heavy, physical game as well, so that's all we're really thinking about right now."

Holding a 1-0 series lead that most outside of the Predators locker room didn't expect, the challenge in front of Nashville now is to expand on that lead Sunday in Game 2.

"To get off to the right start is a good thing," Predators coach Peter Laviolette said, "but there's so much hockey left to be played."

Reach Adam Vingan on Twitter @AdamVingan.

PREDATORS VS. DUCKS

Predators lead 1-0

Friday: Predators 3-2

Sunday: at Anaheim, 9:30 p.m.

Tuesday: at Nashville, 8:30 p.m.

Thursday: at Nashville, 8 p.m.

x-April 23: at Anaheim, TBD

x-April 25: at Nashville, TBD

x-April 27: at Anaheim, TBD

x-if necessary