It’s Game 3 Day in the West, as the Edmonton Oilers look to build on an already commanding series lead over the Anaheim Ducks, while the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues will duke it out to determine who will gain the edge.
Here’s what to watch for on Sunday.
vs. Game 3
3 p.m. ET, Sportsnet
After winning five consecutive games to start their run in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Predators finally took a loss on Friday night. The Blues edged out a win thanks in large part to Vladimir Tarasenko, who scored two of his team’s three goals.
One of Nashville’s key strengths in Round 1, when they swept the Chicago Blackhawks, was Pekka Rinne, who earned two shutouts and allowed just three goals in that four-game series—good for a .976 save percentage.
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But we’re seeing a different Rinne in this series: He has already allowed double his first-round total through Games 1 and 2 of the second round, for a save percentage of .880. With the series currently tied at one game apiece, the Predators will need him to recapture his earlier brilliance as they host the Blues for Game 3.
The Blues went on the man advantage five times on Friday but scored just one power play goal. Tarasenko said he felt his team was too excited to go on the power play and thus overthinking their approach. “I think we need to be simple,” he explained. Look for St. Louis to put that to the test on Sunday as the team tries to take advantage of any miscues or lack of discipline on Nashville’s part.
vs. Game 3
7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet
Cam Talbot was without question the story of Game 2. The Oilers netminder made 39 saves to lead his team to a 2–1 victory over the Ducks.
While the Oilers managed to take an impressive 2-0 series lead, their performance on Friday was far from spectacular—Connor McDavid excepted, of course, as the Ducks had no answer for his speed.
Oilers coach Todd McLellan called Talbot the team’s “hero” in Game 2 but said the rest of his group would need to elevate their game in Game 3.
“I thought we were on our heels for a lot of the second half of [Game 2],” he said, adding that he’ll be looking for more intensity from his players.
The Oilers were outshot by Anaheim, 40-23. “If we play like this in Edmonton, it’s going to be tough,” said defenceman Oscar Klefbom
It will be tough for the Ducks, though, if Talbot can continue to play like he did on Friday. Anaheim faces no easy task, having dug themselves a hole and heading into unfriendly territory at Rogers Place. They’ll need to sort out their poor penalty killing. They’ll also need to find a way to crack the 29-year-old netminder in a bid to avoid embarrassment and claw their way back in this one.
Anaheim’s Jakob Silfverberg said he felt his team made it too easy for Talbot in their last game. “We’re taking a lot of shots, but I think a lot of them, he’s having a little bit too easy time to pick them up,” he said. The task for Game 3? “Just make sure to go a little bit harder and a battle a little bit harder in front of their net.”