John Gibson returns to help Ducks squash Predators

John Gibson returned after missing seven games with a lower-body injury and made 33 saves to help the visiting Anaheim Ducks to a 4-1 win against the Nashville Predators on Thursday night.

Trevor Zegras had a goal and an assist for the Ducks (30-31-8, 68 points), whose only two wins in the past six games have come against the Predators. Jackson LaCombe, Troy Terry and Alex Killorn also scored, and Mason McTavish had two assists.

The Ducks swept Nashville for the first time since 2015.

Steven Stamkos scored and Justus Annunen made 30 saves for the Predators (25-35-8, 58 points), who have lost four in a row (0-3-1).

The Ducks were getting outshot 4-0 when Nashville went on its first power play at 6:18 of the first period. Stamkos scored 49 seconds into the man-advantage on a one-timer from the top of the left circle, off a feed from Filip Forsberg.

The Ducks evened the shot totals at 10-10 entering the second period and then tied it 1-1 at 7:29. McTavish took a sharp-angle shot off a rush, and the rebound came out to the front of the crease, where LaCombe was there to shoot it into the net.

At 13:19 of the second period, Terry received a pass from Zegras above the left circle, cut into the middle and scored with a wrist shot from above the hash marks for a 2-1 lead.

Anaheim kept the pressure on, and Zegras knocked in a rebound in front of the crease to stretch the lead to 3-1 at 15:36.

Killorn scored into an empty net with 36 seconds left to make it 4-1.

After scoring in each of the previous two games, Ducks rookie forward Nikita Nesterenko sat out with an illness and defenseman Oliver Kylington made his Anaheim debut in a lineup of 11 forwards and seven defensemen.

--Field Level Media