James Neal played the role of hero in Game 1 as the Nashville Predators forward drilled a one-timer past John Gibson midway through the first overtime period to help his team earn a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night.
The goal was a relief for the Predators in more ways than one as Neal had left the game earlier after appearing to suffer an injury. Luckily, he returned and the Predators were all the better for it, earning their first win in their first ever appearance in a conference finals series.
Overall, Nashville severely outshot the Ducks, recording a 46-29 advantage over Anaheim, including a 15-6 margin in the first period.
As for Neal, the goal was his fourth of the postseason, giving him a share of the team lead alongside Roman Josi, Ryan Ellis, and Filip Forsberg.
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