NHL Playoffs 2017: Game 5 TV Schedule and Odds for Predators vs. Ducks

There will be no more surprises when the Nashville Predators and the Anaheim Ducks take the ice at Honda Center Saturday night for Game 5 of the NHL Western Conference Final.

Each team has split at home and on the road in their first four games, and there is little difference between them. The Ducks may be the slightly more talented team, but the Preds have been aggressive and relentless throughout the series.

The two teams will face off at 7:15 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised by NBC.

The Predators will have more than just a little adversity to contend with as they go on the road for this pivotal game. They will have to play without center Ryan Johansen, who has been shelved with a thigh injury that required emergency surgery Friday, according to the Predators' Twitter account.

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Johansen's 2017 playoff run is over, and head coach Peter Laviolette is going to have to scramble to maneuver the Nashville lineup so that the team remains competitive in the series and has a chance to earn a spot in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time.

The 24-year-old had been a big part of the Predators offense throughout the first two-plus rounds of the playoffs. He is the team's leading scorer in the postseason, with three goals and 10 assists in 14 games, and he also has a plus-12 rating. 

The Predators have a number of weapons who have been scoring at key moments throughout the playoffs. Filip Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson and James Neal are talented enough to make up for some of the loss.

Additionally, the biggest advantage the Predators may have of any of the teams in the playoffs is their aggressive and active defense.

Ryan Ellis, Roman Josi, P.K. Subban and Mattias Ekholm have been at the forefront of Nashville's postseason success. All four are aggressive when it comes to offensive opportunities, and they will need to be close to their best when they take the ice at Honda Center.

Ellis and Josi have both scored 10 points in the postseason, while Subban is right behind with nine. Ekholm is a smooth skater who apparently does not want to be left out of the equation, as he has seven assists.

The Ducks are going to try to take advantage of Nashville's shortcoming and also ride the momentum that comes with their Game 4 overtime victory at Bridgestone Arena. Corey Perry was credited with the winning goal, as his shot from the right side deflected off of Subban's stick and into the net past Pekka Rinne.

Anaheim played a stellar game for 40 minutes, building a 2-0 lead on the road, but the Ducks struggled with discipline problems in the third period. They took four minor penalties, and the Preds scored two goals to send the game into the extra period.

The Ducks will want to get off to a sharp start in front of their home fans and put pressure on the Preds. While Nashville was able to come back from deficits in both Games 3 and 4 at home, it may be more difficult to do it on the road.

Laviolette believes the team that has shown more willingness in quickness and getting to the puck has had the edge in this series.

"I do think that the team that's had the jump and has been able to put numbers into the rush usually can control a little bit of the tempo, get into the offensive zone and create some plays and some pucks that are going to the net and [generate] some scoring chances," Laviolette said, per Robby Stanley of NHL.com.

The Ducks are minus-116 favorites to win the game, according to OddsShark. A bettor would have to wager $116 on the home team in order to earn a profit of $100 in the event of an Anaheim victory. The Predators are plus-105 underdogs.