ROOKIES PROVIDE UNEXPECTED GOALS WIRTANEN, MILLER CREATE GAME'S WINNING MARGIN DUCKS 3, NASHVILLE 1.

Byline: J.P. HOORNSTRA

Staff Writer

ANAHEIM -- Petteri Wirtanen wasn't expected to be the Ducks' offensive savior when he was recalled from the American Hockey League on Monday.

The 21-year-old, one of the team's final cuts in training camp, was stuck inauspiciously on the Ducks' checking line in his NHL debut Wednesday against the Nashville Predators.

Wirtanen had only played four shifts when he took the ice along with tough guys George Parros and Brad May four minutes into the third period of a 1-1 game. But it was Wirtanen who scored the go-ahead goal as the Ducks defeated the Predators 3-1 in front of 17,174 at Honda Center.

"Waking up this morning, I tried to take this as a normal game, but of course you're a little nervous," Wirtanen said with a big smile after the win. "The chance came, and I just put it in. It felt awesome."

With 15:13 to play, the rookie from Finland found himself on the left side of an odd-man rush as Parros, the Ducks' mustachioed enforcer, skated up center ice. Wirtanen settled a bouncing pass from Parros, hesitated for a clean shot, then snuck his only shot attempt of the night through the near side on Nashville goaltender Chris Mason.

Fellow rookie Drew Miller scored his first NHL goal minutes later to seal the victory, which left the Ducks at 4-4-1 as they concluded their first homestand.

"After I missed that one (scoring chance) in the second period, (Wirtanen) said, 'I thought for sure you were gonna score.' So I couldn't let him show me up," Miller said. "It's great to see guys you played with -- for me last year in Portland -- get their first goal."

And it was great for Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle, whose team has been consistently inconsistent on offense, to see sixplayers get their first goal of the season in the past two games.

"It's nice to see young players score their first goal," Carlyle said, "It's a tribute to the scouting system and management that they're able to find guys who can score."

Miller and Wirtanen's coming-out party relieved memories of a frustrating first two periods for the Ducks, who were outshot 8-1 after the game's first eight minutes.

Corey Perry gave the team a 1-0 lead late in the first period. With linemate Chris Kunitz under wraps, Perry skated out with the puck from behind the net, then wrapped it around Mason's left shoulder for his fifth goal of the season.

Jean-Sebastien Giguere got his first win in his second start of the season. Tested more often than he was Sunday against the Minnesota Wild, he finished with 28saves on 29 shots. He wasn't beaten until 2:24 into the final period, when Ryan Suter skated in unguarded, then wristed an Alexander Radulov pass over the goaltender's right shoulder.

Giguere, who said his timing was off "every once in a while" in his 23- save debut Sunday, had to get acclimated quickly to the Predators' pace Wednesday.

"It takes a few games before you feel like you're 100 percent," Giguere said. "The more goals, the more I feel like a goalie again."

Giguere also recognized the team's need for offense. Second-line forward Todd Bertuzzi was in street clothes Wednesday, still recovering from a concussion sustained Sunday that landed him on the injured reserve.

And more than anyone, Giguere appreciated the Ducks' rookies' sudden scoring stroke.

"Because of the injuries to our lineup," he said, "we need these guys to contribute for us."

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The Ducks' Corey Perry, right, is congratulated by Ryan Getzlaf after scoring in the first period.

Chris Carlson/Associated Press