Ryan O’Reilly had a hat trick to lead the visiting Nashville Predators to a 5-2 win against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday afternoon.
Filip Forsberg had a goal and two assists, Tommy Novak had a goal and an assist and Kevin Lankinen made 33 saves for Nashville, which had lost two straight to start its five-game road trip.
Darnell Nurse and Zach Hyman scored and Jack Campbell made 29 saves for the Oilers, who have lost six of seven and dropped to 2-7-1.
Edmonton went on its first power play at 9:36 of the first period and the Oilers worked the puck around to Nurse at the left point. He took a slap shot that hit the left post and then banked off Lankinen’s pad and across the goal line for a 1-0 lead at 9:57.
The Predators answered 25 seconds later when Forsberg scored on a wraparound off the rush to tie it 1-1. O’Reilly was credited with the primary assist on the play.
The Predators scored 23 seconds into the second period to move ahead 2-1.
Forsberg took a wrist shot from above the right circle. His shot hit the outstretched skate of Campbell and O’Reilly was in position to push in the rebound.
The Predators went back on the power play and Forsberg set up O’Reilly with a horizontal pass above the crease. He finished with a one-timer for a 3-1 lead at 3:24 of the second.
The Oilers then went on a power play and Evan Bouchard took a one-timer from above the circles that glanced off Hyman and into the net to cut the lead to 3-2 at 5:08.
Novak made it 4-2 when he got a step ahead of the final defenseman, took a feed from Luke Evangelista and scored with a wrist shot at 15:15 of the third.
O’Reilly scored at 8:22 of the third for a 5-2 lead and his fifth career hat trick. Play initially continued after the puck hit the back of the net and came out. O’Reilly scored again a few seconds later from the slot before it was determined his original shot crossed the goal line.
–Field Level Media