Ducks fall to Predators 3-2 in overtime

All through the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Ducks wore a halo over their heads during overtime. Three previous times they prevailed in what seemed to be destiny.

That finally ended Friday night, even after the Ducks overcame a predictably tired start and got a playoff career-best 43 saves from goalie John Gibson, who helped them through a monster penalty kill just to get to overtime.

The Nashville Predators, fresh off four days’ rest, beat the Ducks 3-2 on James Neal’s goal 9:24 into overtime in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals at Honda Center.

The Ducks wearily walked back to their dressing room, just 48 hours after their Game 7 win against the Edmonton Oilers left them hungover at the start.

“I don’t think this time of the year you can have excuses,” Hampus Lindholm said. “You just have to go out there and play hard and win games. I think they wanted it a little more tonight.”

Neal one-timed a pass from P.K. Subban at the right circle and his shot deflected off Ducks forward Corey Perry into the net to end a game in which goaltending and penalty killing were spotlighted.

Gibson made four saves during a five-on-three Nashville advantage in the third period with the score tied at 2-2. The Ducks gifted Nashville with back-to-back delay-of-game penalties by Ryan Getzlaf and Nate Thompson for shooting the puck over the glass, but the Ducks killed the penalties.

“Usually you can take that energy and roll through the rest of the hockey game,” Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. “I thought we did that up until we gave up a goal in overtime. It was the first [overtime] goal we’ve given up in these playoffs. We’ve been fortunate to win [three games] and now it doesn’t feel good because I think we had a couple of scoring chances but couldn’t find the back of the net in overtime.”

Neal earlier made a big hit on Brandon Montour at the Nashville bench.

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Predators forward James Neal is embraced by teammate PK Subban, right, after scoring the game-winning goal against the Ducks in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Ducks goalie John Gibson and forward Corey Perry collide as the puck sails into the net for a 3-2 overtime win for the Predators in Game 1 at Honda Center.

  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Ducks center Nate Thompson looks away as Predators players, Mattias Ekholm, left, Colton Sissons and Calle Jarnkrok celebrate a 3-2 overtime win in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Ducks center Ryan Kesler tries to defelct the puck past Predators goalie Pekke Rinne during the second period of Game 1 at Honda Center on May 10.

  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Ducks center Nate Thompson sends the puck into the stands for a third-period penalty resulting in a 5-on-3 advantage for the Predators during Game 1 at Honda Center.

  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Ducks center Antoine Vermette tries to deflect a shot past Predators goalie Pekka Rinne during the third period of Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Ducks defenseman Brandon Montour fires a shot during the third period of Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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The Ducks and fans celebrate Hampus Lindholm’s game-tying goal in the third period of Game 1 of the Western Conference finals at Honda Center.

  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Ducks goalie John Gibson makes a save on a shot by Predators forward James Neal during third period action in game one of the NHL Western Conference Final.

  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Ducks forward Andrew Cogliano lays across Predators goalie Pekka Rinne as he’s pushed by forward Viktor Arvidsson during the second period of Game 1 at Honda Center.

  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Ducks goalie John Gibson stops a point-blank shot from Predators forward Cody McLeod during the second period of Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Predators players Cody Mcleod and Ryan Johnson celebrate a second period goal by Austin Watson in game one of the NHL Western Conference Final.

  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Ducks center Chris Wagner looks to deflect the puck past Predators goalie Pekka Rinne as defenseman Ryan Ellis runs interference during the first period of Game 1.

  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Ducks goaltender John Gibson deflects a shot as teammate Hampus Lindholm struggles to guard Predators winger Viktor Arvidsson during the first period of Game 1 at Honda Center.

  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Predators winger Filip Forsberg celebrates after scoring in the first period of Game 1 against the Ducks.

  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Ducks winger Jakob Silfverberg is upended by Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis during the first period of Game 1 of the Western Conference final.

  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Gibson made 37 saves in regulation, 30 in the first two periods.

He weathered a 13-1 shot edge by Nashville to start the game and it was 20-6 just before the Predators took a a 2-1 lead.

The Ducks needed every one of those saves because for 40 minutes they looked nothing like the team that methodically carried the play in the final two periods against Edmonton.

“They came and they took it to us in the first period,” Thompson said.

Lindholm tied the score at 2-2 with his first goal of the playoffs, a wrist shot that tucked inside the left post after Thompson’s faceoff win at 7:21 of the third period.

Nashville took advantage of the fatigued Ducks early with goals by Austin Watson and Filip Forsberg, who tipped Matt Irwin’s shot through traffic midway through the first period.

Forsberg created the possession with a steal against Nick Ritchie.

It was that kind of start for the Ducks and their fans. Traffic around the arena resulted in scores of empty seats at the start.

But Jakob Silfverberg brought the arena alive with a goal 5:15 into the game, on the Ducks’ first shot.

That was the lone highlight, though, in a forgettable opening period for the Ducks.

“Overall, we have to start from the get-go,” Lindholm said. “I think we kind of lost the game in the first period there.”

THREE KEYS FROM THE DUCKS’ 3-2 LOSS

1. The Ducks took the ice for the first game of the conference finals less than 45 hours after eliminating Edmonton in Game 7 of their second-round series. Nashville, meanwhile, had four days off between games.

2. The Ducks’ struggling penalty kill came up big, surviving five penalties. The Predators got 11 power-play shots in the game but couldn’t get any of them past John Gibson.

3. The sloppy Ducks deserved assists on all three Nashville goals, capped by Nate Thompson losing a faceoff deep in the defensive end that led to James Neal’s game winner, which went in off the Ducks’ Corey Perry.

THE BIG STAT

51: The Ducks penalty-killing unit didn’t allow a goal on any of the Coyotes five power-play opportunities, including three in the final period. and another sentence goes right in this spot.

— Kevin Baxter

sports@latimes.com