Ducks fans should start to get used to it – the young forward core has the firepower to take over games. 

In the first period, where both teams had even possession and chances, Ross Johnston scored the first goal of the game, his first as a Duck, and the first goal from the Ducks’ bottom six this year. It’s the first time this season the Ducks scored the first goal of the game. 

With 5:31 left in the first period, Tyson Jost deflected a shot-pass from Spencer Stastney to tie the game. 

The Ducks’ youthful skill and speed began to take over at the start of the second period with some dominant shifts in the offensive zone. The Predators iced the puck, trying to weather the storm, but on the next faceoff after the icing, Leo Carlsson cleaned up a rebound from a Jacob Trouba shot to make it 2-1.

The Ducks continued to pepper the Nashville Predators, including a five-on-three power play that couldn’t find the back of the net. Chances like this are where Chris Kreider shines, but he was out of the lineup with an illness.

The Ducks’ speed continued to overwhelm the Predators. Cutter Gauthier and Beckett Sennecke scored just over two minutes apart, with Sennecke scoring on a one-timer set up by an aggressive Ross Johnston forecheck. Sennecke continues an impressive start to his rookie season. 

“It’s certainly not what we want is the back and forth,” Predators assistant coach Derek McKenzie said in an intermission report with Kara Hammer. “I thought we’re very comfortable in our own zone, but our details slipped a little bit in the second period, gave up some odd man rushes that we just can’t do in a game like this with the speed that they have and skill that they have, so it obviously caught up to us.” 

A combination of the Predators’ sluggish offense and the Ducks’ lockdown defense kept the Predators off the board in the third period. Another Ross Johnston forecheck led to Troy Terry scoring his first goal of the season, making it 5-2. Johnston fought Michael McCarron with 6:29 left in the third period to complete the Gordie Howe hat trick. 

The Ducks have shown that they’re capable of scoring goals at will. The concern with this young team that’s played a run-and-gun style to start the year is if they can keep the puck out of their own net. If they can play like they did in the third period – playing a responsible, mature, defensive game – they’ll be able to make a lot of noise this season. 

The Ducks continue their road trip, heading east to play the Boston Bruins Thursday night.