And they did, gaining home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs as their reward, with a matchup against the San Jose Sharks. The Ducks played a solid game on Saturday against the Coyotes, who had a strong finish to their season.
The Ducks were eliminated by the Predators in each of the last two playoffs, falling in the conference final last year and in the first round in 2016, and this season's Predators are better than last season's Stanley Cup runner-up version. Getting home-ice advantage could be crucial for the Ducks, who won their last seven games at Honda Center and were 14-1-2 in their last 17 home games.