Anaheim's Top Power Play Meets Nashville's Elite Penalty Kill on Back-to-Back

Anaheim hosts Nashville as a modest favourite, and the central question is how the league's second-highest scoring team handles one of its better penalty kills. The Ducks score 3.83 goals per game (rank 2), and their power play converts at 38.5% (rank 1). Nashville's penalty kill succeeds at 88.5% (rank 2), so the special-teams matchup is the clearest point of friction.

Anaheim's weakness is at the other end. The Ducks allow 3.67 goals per game (rank 24), their team save percentage is 86.9% (rank 30), and their penalty kill is at 73% (rank 21). Nashville allows 3 goals per game (rank 8) with a 90.3% save percentage (rank 5). The Predators score 3.06 goals per game (rank 14), but their 29.8% power play (rank 4) gives them a route to exploit Anaheim's penalty kill.

Both teams are poor in shot share: Anaheim at 47.9% (rank 26), Nashville at 47.1% (rank 28). Anaheim's 15.4% shooting percentage has covered for that. Cutter Gauthier recorded his third hat trick in eight days in a 5-2 win over Pittsburgh, the Ducks' fifth straight victory. Nashville has won four straight, but this is its second game in two days after a 3-1 home win, while Anaheim has had three days off.

On the injury front, a report says Troy Terry (hip) will likely make his 2026-27 debut tonight, which would add to an already potent group. He is still on injured reserve, so that is not confirmed. Nashville is without Jonathan Marchessault, who is out with a lower-body injury. The most recent meeting went to Anaheim 5-4 in April, after Nashville won 5-0 in Anaheim ten days earlier.

The moneyline is Anaheim -143, Nashville +119, essentially unchanged from the -145 and +121 open. That is notable given that 91% of bets and 91% of money are on the Ducks; heavy one-sided support did not move the price. The puck line is Anaheim -1.5 at +165, with Nashville +1.5 at -202. The total is 6.5, unchanged, with the Over at -116.

The total has its own context. Anaheim has gone over in eight straight games and in 61.1% of its games this season, while Nashville's games have gone over 50% of the time. Nashville's games have gone past regulation 41.2% of the time against 11.1% for Anaheim, which matters to a one-goal puck line. Anaheim has failed to cover its last five puck-line games in non-division, in-conference home matchups, while Nashville has covered four straight.

The evidence conflicts. Anaheim's offence, power play and rest point one way, while Nashville's goaltending, penalty kill and form point the other. Neither team has confirmed a starting goalie.