DUCKS AND PREDATORS MEET IN GAME 7 WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS’ FIRST ROUND REACHES EXCITING CONCLUSION
A Game 7 showdown between the Anaheim Ducks and Nashville Predators at Honda Center in Anaheim will cap an exciting First Round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Wednesday, April 27 (10 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT/7 p.m. PT, NBCSN, Sportsnet, TVAS).
The Ducks will host a winner-take-all playoff game for the fourth consecutive season. Anaheim has lost each of the three previous such contests – to the Detroit Red Wings (2013 Conference Quarterfinals), Los Angeles Kings (2014 Second Round) and Chicago Blackhawks (2015 Conference Final).
The Predators will appear in a Game 7 for the first time. The previous NHL franchise to make its first Game 7 appearance was the Tampa Bay Lightning, which eliminated the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2004 Eastern Conference Final.
Ducks forwards Ryan Getzlaf (0-3—3) and Corey Perry (3-1—4) have appeared in a team-leading five Game 7s each. Several veteran players on the Predators’ roster – including Mike Fisher, Paul Gaustad, Barret Jackman, James Neal and Mike Ribeiro – have Game 7 experience with other teams.
[pb_vidembed title=”” caption=”” url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijdibKbM-fQ” type=”yt” w=”480″ h=”385″]
The winner of Wednesday’s game will face the San Jose Sharks in the Second Round.
Game 7 Trends
* Home teams are 95-67 (.586) all-time in Game 7s in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
* The team that scores first is 120-42 all-time (.741)
* Forty Game 7s have required overtime (40-of-162, 24.7%). Home and road teams each have 20 wins.
* Wednesday’s showdown will mark the 40th Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2009 – the most frequently-occurring series length in that span:
Series Length (since 2009)
7 games: 40
6 games: 35
5 games: 24
4 games: 14
Team Game 7 Results
Anaheim Ducks (2-5)
5/30/15, Western Conference Final vs. Chicago (CHI 5 at ANA 3)
5/16/14, Western Conference Second Round vs. Los Angeles (LAK 6 at ANA 2)
5/12/13, Western Conference QF vs. Detroit (DET 3 at ANA 2)
5/14/09, Western Conference SF vs. Detroit (ANA 3 at DET 4)
5/3/06, Western Conference QF vs. Calgary (ANA 3 at CGY 0)
6/9/03, Stanley Cup Final vs. New Jersey (ANA 0 at NJD 3)
4/29/97, Western Conference QF vs. Phoenix (PHX 0 at ANA 3)
Nashville Predators (0-0)
* Information provided via NHL Press Release
National Hockey League Press Release. Information provided from the NHL that describes various news releases that describe current events in the league.