Predators at a loss to explain collapse vs. Ducks

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Over a long season, individual wins and losses tend to get washed away in a fairly short amount of time.

But the Predators' 4-2 loss to Anaheim on Sunday might leave a mark.

In a game between two Western Conference powers — and with first place in the conference on the line — the Preds were simply steamrolled by the Ducks in the third period. The Predators, playing their second game in less than 24 hours, simply had no answer for Anaheim's four-goal blitz.

"Everybody's got a pit in their stomach right now," Predators coach Peter Laviolette said.

The loss hardly devastated the Predators in the standings. They finished the road trip 2-2, trail the Ducks by two points and are tied with St. Louis atop the Central Division (the Blues own the tiebreaker).

Still, it was clear the Predators were searching for answers.

"I don't know really what happened," Predators goalie Pekka Rinne said. "Obviously the first goal got them some momentum and after that they scored two other quick goals. I don't know.

"That's a disappointing game on the road. That's not how you hold a lead. We kept turning pucks over. This time, it bites us. It's disappointing."

Rare advantage: When the Predators took a 2-0 lead, it marked the first time in the last 11 contests that Nashville had held a two-goal advantage.

It didn't last long as Ryan Getzlaf scored just 2:12 into the third period.

"We haven't really had the lead lately, so I guess that's a little bit different, but there's no excuses," Predators captain Shea Weber said. "We have to stick to our game and play the way we need to."

Power-play life: When Roman Josi scored, it marked the second power-play goal in as many nights for the Predators. Nashville had gone scoreless for six straight games before snapping an 0-for-18 stretch Saturday against Los Angeles.

Still, Nashville's 16.4 percent success rate on the power play ranks 25th.

Rinne's back-to-back: Rinne's start marked just the second time all season he'd been used in back-to-back situations. The first came Dec. 29-30 when the Predators lost in a shootout at Chicago and then rebounded by beating St. Louis at home.

Rinne didn't see a lot of action against Los Angeles on Saturday, as he stopped 23 of 24 shots. The Predators didn't travel far, as the team made the relatively short bus trip from Los Angeles to Anaheim.

Neal scratched: James Neal (upper-body injury) was scratched for the second consecutive night and remains day-to-day. The Predators went with the same lineup Sunday as they did Saturday, with Mike Santorelli playing on the team's top line with Mike Ribeiro and Colin Wilson.

In Neal's absence, Paul Gaustad served as one of the team's alternate captains.

Nearing a milestone: When Ribeiro notched his 700th career point in a win over the New York Rangers last month, he said he was even more eager to reach another personal milestone.

Ribeiro is closing in on that second mark. He's just five assists shy of reaching 500.

"I've always thought of myself more as a playmaker, a guy who tries to create chances for my teammates, so I think that's why I think more of (500 assists)," Ribeiro said. "Obviously scoring goals is fun, but for me it's more about creating and then passing off."

Peeking ahead: After finishing a tough three-games-in-four-nights road swing on Sunday, the Predators will enjoy some down time in the coming week.

The Predators will play host to Minnesota on Tuesday, but then have three days off before their next game, against Buffalo, and two days off after that before battling Montreal.

The three-day break between the Minnesota game and the Buffalo game will be the team's longest breather since the NHL All-Star game in late January.

Reach John Glennon at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter @glennonsports.