I Nashville Predators trailed the Los Angeles Kings 2-0, but Nick Blankenburg scored 1:03 into overtime to give Nashville a 3-2 win Saturday at Bridgestone Arena.
Goaltender Justus Annunen made 22 saves to earn his second straight win with the Predators. With the overtime win, Nashville now has a three-point game (2-0-1) and moves to 10-17-7 on the season.
How the Predators lined up against Los Angeles
Forsberg-Stamkos-Marchessault
L’Heureux-O’Reilly-Nyquist
Jankowski-Novak-Evangelista
Smith-McCarron-Sissons
Lauzon-Yosi
Skjei-Blankenburg
Wilsby Schenn
I surrender
saro
More: Pärsinen, Barron
Roman Josi has been placed on IR after missing the past four games with a lower-body injury. Justin Barron, found out Wednesday evening in the work that sent Alexandre Carrier to The Montreal Canadienshe arrived in Nashville late Thursday afternoon and did not suit up for the Predators’ game on Saturday.
Annunen, acquired in a trade from the Colorado Avalanche at the end of November, made his first start on home ice for the Predators.
Summary of the game
After what could only be described as an encouraging start for either team, Gustav Nyquist got things going for the Predators with a nice backhand pass in front of the net to Zachary L’Heureux, who tapped it in to give Nashville a 1-0 lead. at 14:16 in the first half.
Josi wasted no time making an impact on his return to the lineup, assisting on Jonathan Marchessault’s goal 14 minutes into the second half. With good stick handling, Josi hung on two Kings defenders and moved the puck to Marchessault, who scored to put Nashville up 2-0.
Quinton Byfield interrupted a shutout bid midway through the third period to put the Kings within one point. Alex Laferriere scored the tying goal for Los Angeles by deflecting Joel Edmundson’s shot at the point on a delay penalty at 13:23 of the third period.
Just over a minute into overtime, Blankenburg found Filip Forsberg’s goal down the goal line and put it back into an open net for Nashville’s win.
Key Takeaways and Notes
-
L’Heureux had an assist in Thursday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, so his first-period goal against the Kings gave him the first scoring award of his NHL career.
-
With the goal in the second half, Marchessault has scored in three consecutive games and extended his scoring streak to six games. He has eight points (5 goals, 3 assists) in that span.
-
Blankenburg’s OT game-winner was the first of his career.
Next
The Predators wrap up their four-game homestand on Monday, when they host the Carolina Hurricanes at Bridgestone Arena. The puck drops at 7 pm CT, and the game will be broadcast regionally on FanDuel Sports Network South and NHL Network.
Visit Hockey News Nashville Predators team site to stay updated on latest news, the day of the game spreading, player features, podcasts and more.
Latest Predator News
Related: Nashville Predators Get Point, Fall to Pittsburgh Penguins in OT
Related: Nashville Predators Trade Alexandre Carrier to Montreal Canadiens for Justin Barron
