Filip Forsberg scored the lone goal of a shootout, giving the Nashville Predators a 4-3 win over the Utah Hockey Club on Thursday in Salt Lake City.
The Predators erased a 2-0 deficit by scoring three goals within a six-minute span bridging the second and third periods. Dylan Guenther brought Utah level at 5:42 of the third period, but Nashville goalie Juuse Saros came up big to keep the Predators alive through regulation and overtime.
Saros stopped 39 of 42 shots during the game, and then stopped all three Utah attempts during the shootout. The goaltender’s most critical save came on a point-blank robbery of Guenther 32 seconds into overtime.
The Predators (29-42-8, 66 points) have the third-fewest points in the NHL but are on a two-game winning streak.
Forsberg collected his 31st goal of the season during regulation play. Ryan O’Reilly had a goal and an assist, and Nick Blankenburg scored the Predators’ other goal.
Nick Bjugstad and Josh Doan scored for the Utah Hockey Club (36-30-13, 85 points) in the final home game of the team’s inaugural season in Salt Lake City. Utah posted an 18-15-8 home record.
Karel Vejmelka stopped 28 of 31 shots in his 22nd consecutive start, then turned aside the first two Nashville attempts in the shootout.
After a scoreless first period, Bjugstad put Utah ahead 4:49 into the second frame with a bad-angle goal. The veteran forward was almost perpendicular to Nashville’s net, but his attempt snuck over Saros’ shoulder.
Vejmelka made a huge pad save on Forsberg 13:31 into the second period, and Utah rode the momentum into a goal 23 seconds later. Doan was in position to deposit the rebound after Jack McBain’s initial shot hit the crossbar.
Nashville went 2-for-3 on the power play, with the two goals evening the score for the visitors. Blankenburg’s long-range shot beat a screened Vejmelka 17:21 into the second period, and Forsberg delivered the equalizer at 1:19 of the third period.
O’Reilly put the Predators ahead less than two minutes later. Utah did a poor job of controlling the puck in its own end, allowing O’Reilly to deposit a wrist shot from the circle.
–Field Level Media
