The Nashville Predators closed the second period with three straight goals to break open a one-goal game and went on to post a 6-3 win over the visiting Boston Bruins on Thursday night.
Filip Forsberg had a goal and two assists while Matthew Wood scored twice in Nashville’s four-goal middle frame. The Predators, who have made several deals this week in advance of the Friday NHL trade deadline, also played without alternate captain Ryan O’Reilly (upper-body injury).
Nicolas Hague, Erik Haula and Luke Evangelista also scored, Steven Stamkos had two assists and Juuse Saros made 20 saves to help Nashville break a three-game skid (0-2-1).
Charlie McAvoy and Viktor Arvidsson each notched a goal and an assist, Morgan Geekie also scored and Pavel Zacha had two helpers for Boston, which is 6-2-3 in its past 11 games but has a six-game road losing streak (0-3-3).
Bruins goalie Joonas Korpisalo stopped 23 shots, including 13 in a busy middle frame.
Nashville broke the deadlock at 13:53 of the first period, as Hague teed up Ozzy Wiesblatt’s drop pass at the end of a transition and slipped the shot from the left circle.
Saros helped the Predators carry their lead into intermission, making a flashing glove save on Elias Lindholm, who moved around his defender for a close-range shot. David Pastrnak drove wide and drew a penalty before setting up the play.
With Boston on the following man advantage 1:24 into the middle frame, Nick Perbix intercepted an attempted Pastrnak pass and broke in ahead to set up Wood for a short-handed snipe.
Geekie needed just four seconds of another Bruins power play to make it 2-1 at the 3:30 mark of the second. After Lindholm won a faceoff back to McAvoy, Geekie wired a one-timer from the top of the left dot for his career-high 34th goal.
The hosts upped their lead back to two at 10:18. Haula got the ultimate deflection of Brady Skjei’s point shot.
After a potential goal from Boston’s Sean Kuraly was waved off due to goaltender interference, Forsberg cashed in late on the ensuing power play for a 4-1 Nashville edge. The goal came on a wrister from the high slot at 12:37.
The Predators led 5-1 at the second intermission. Wood netted his second by deflecting a Roman Josi point shot at 14:44.
McAvoy brought the Bruins a goal closer with 13:55 left in regulation, slotting home Arvidsson’s feed from behind the end line to the top of the circle.
Boston continued pressing in the third and cut the deficit to 5-3 as Arvidsson blasted a one-timer off Casey Mittelstadt’s feed with 4:28 to go, but Evangelista hit an empty net 2:01 later.
–Field Level Media
