Only two days have passed since the Anaheim Ducks battled through a white-knuckle Game 7, scraping out a 2-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers to leave the second round behind. Rest won’t come, of course, because the grind of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is indifferent to the weary.
Anaheim’s quick turnaround begins Friday night with Game 1 against their new opponent, the Nashville Predators, who have been waiting patiently for what seems like weeks.
It’s an unconventional series in what has been the most unconventional Western Conference race in years. That in mind, here are the top storylines as the third round begins:
vs. 
Game 1: 9 p.m. ET on CBC
Predators’ blue-liners meeting their match?
Nashville’s back-end has been rolling through these playoffs seemingly uncontested, as Ryan Ellis, Roman Josi and P.K. Subban have dominated in both ends of the rink. The defensive trio has posted a combined 24 points through 10 games, helping Nashville cruise through the first two rounds.
That back-end might have overwhelmed its counterpart in Chicago and St. Louis, but the Predators may find more of a match in Anaheim.
The Ducks’ defence hasn’t been as offensively potent up to this point, but the club has a stable of talented, young rearguards with enough skill to chip in when the moment is right. Shea Theodore, Cam Fowler and Brandon Montour have a combined 17 points thus far, while Sami Vatanen and Hampus Lindholm remain potential weapons as well.
It’s safe to say the blue-liners will have the green light in this one.
Anaheim’s about to have Pekka problems
The Ducks posted the second-best goals per game clip through the opening two rounds, scoring an average of 3.18 times per night. That easily bested Nashville’s mark of 2.80 goals per game, but there’s a reason the Predators didn’t have to come up with as many goals – they weren’t letting any in.
Predators netminder Pekka Rinne has looked phenomenal up to this point. Heading into the conference final, he ranks first in save percentage (.951) and goals-against average (1.37), and tied with the now-eliminated Cam Talbot for the most shutouts (two) in the playoffs. He’ll have his hands full against Ryan Getzlaf, who’s been the third-best scorer in the post-season so far, but the veteran puck-stopper doesn’t look ready to wilt just yet.
Anaheim’s John Gibson hasn’t been quite so lucky. While he stepped up in Game 7, Gibson holds the worst save percentage of all starters who lasted into the second round, finishing round two with a mark of .908. Nashville’s forward corps is still waiting to truly break out, and a faltering Gibson might give them their opportunity.
Coming up big in crunch time
The Ducks pulled out the post-season’s most dramatic comeback thus far in Game 5, clawing back from a 3-0 deficit in the latter half of the third period before completing their effort in double-overtime.
That wasn’t a one-time thing, it seems.
Anaheim also trailed by two goals or more after the first period in Games 1, 4 and 5 – in all three tilts, they managed to come back and even the score, winning the latter two contests in overtime.
Nashville hasn’t been half bad in crunch time either though – half of the Predators’ 28 goals have come in third periods, as Nashville has similarly found ways to get it done late in games.
As the intensity ramps up and the matchups get tighter, which of these two clubs rises to the occasion as the clock ticks down?
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