ANAHEIM, Calif (WSMV) – The Nashville Predators defeated the Anaheim Ducks 5-0 on Tuesday, moving past the Los Angeles Kings for the final playoff spot.
Backup goaltender Justus Annunen stopped all 43 shots he faced, recording a season high in saves. The shutout was Nashville’s first of the season, also ending the franchise’s 120-game streak without a shutout.
“They helped me a lot out there, like so many good box guys helped me see the puck and all their scorers, what they had we basically had someone on them, so it makes my job a lot easier,” Annunen said.
Head coach Andrew Brunette said the team wanted to secure the shutout for Annunen.
“We’ve had a lot of ones that have slipped away, and I was happy for the boys. They weren’t going to let this one go for Big Juice, I mean he’s been put in real tough situations. We haven’t at times played our best in front of him and tonight I think they all wanted to give him a shutout and I’m really happy for him,” Brunette said.
The Predators have four more games to distance themselves in the playoff hunt. They close out the season with a three-game homestand that includes another matchup with the Ducks.
April 9: at Utah MammothApril 11: Minnesota WildApril 13: San Jose SharksApril 16: Anaheim Ducks
Nashville next travels to Utah to face the Mammoth on Wednesday at 8 p.m. Utah currently holds the first wildcard spot in the Western Conference.
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