Juuse Saros and Andrei Vasilevskiy put on a show in net as the Lightning needed extra time to defeat the Predators at home.
Tonight the Nashville Predators welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning to Bridgestone Arena. The Lightning entered tonight's game with a 10-6-1 record and a three game win streak. The Predators also came into tonight's matchup with three straight wins but a much rockier start to their season.
One of the reasons for the Predators' turn around of late has been the improved play of goaltender Juuse Saros. Saros has looked more comfortable and confident in net in his last three outings, and Nashville's defense has improved in front of him. Tonight the bottom six forwards saw a slight shuffle including the return of recent healthy scratch Cody Glass.
The Lightning boast a number of offensive weapons. Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, and Brayden Point headline a roster as good as any in the league. In net tonight, the Lightning started Andrei Vasilevskiy.
It was a game with big emotion as the Predators celebrated Hockey Fights Cancer night and Ryan McDonagh faced off against his former teammates.
Game Recap
Predators got a chance early on the power play as Josi was tripped by Victor Hedman less than a minute into the game. Filip Forsberg smacked the puck past Vasilevskiy at 1:50.
Just a few seconds later, Stamkos took a turn in the penalty box for a roughing call. Nashville's power play struggled to enter the offensive zone, and those two minutes expired with no shots on net.
Juuse Saros and Andrei Vasilevskiy both came up big in the first half of the period with key saves. Nashville went back on the power play at 16:17 as Ryan McDonagh drew a kneeing call. The Preds threatened early on the man advantage but couldn't break through. Saros finished the period stopped a barrage of high dangers shots by the Lightning, and the teams headed to the locker room with a score of 1-0.
Ryan Johansen headed to the penalty box just 3:44 into the second period for a tripping call. Nashville got an early shorthanded try, but it was Nikita Kucherov who put the puck in the net on a quick move into the zone to tie the game.
A Preds penalty and a Lightning penalty led to four on four play at 10:26. There was a frantic pace for the two minutes of four on four, but both goaltenders made key saves to keep the score even.
Andrei Vasilevskiy came way out of the net to play a puck after the teams returned to five a side. Michael McCarron slid into the net minder and drew a goalie interference call at 13:22. The Lightning's dangerous power play peppered the net, but Juuse Saros came up with quick reads and saves to help Nashville kill off the penalty.
Tampa Bay committed a careless offensive zone penalty giving Nashville their fourth chance on the power play at 16:31, but the Preds couldn't convert. The game remained tied as the teams headed into the second intermission.
The final period opened with furious action on both ends of the ice as each team created offensive chances while the goalies covered their respective nets. Nino Niederreiter finally broke through with a goal at 5:04.
Ryan Johansen headed to the box on a slashing call at 8:17 giving the Lightning another chance on the power play. Tampa Bay set up in the offensive zone on a long shift, but Nashville finally got the clear and the kill.
Tampa Bay gained momentum from the power play and pressured with continued offensive zone time. Nashville struggled to get the puck through the neutral zone when they cleared the puck. On one of those clearing attempts Tanner Jeannot was tripped up by Zach Bogosian, and Nashville had an opportunity on the power play at 14:16. Tampa Bay played an aggressive kill and the two minutes expired.
Tampa Bay headed back to the offensive zone and an unsuccessful clear and turnover by the Predators resulted in the tying goal at 16:39. The tide continued to turn when Ryan McDonagh was called for an unfortunate trip at 17:04. The Lightning pressured on the power play, but Nashville was able to kill the penalty with just a little over a minute remaining in regulation. The game remained tied at the buzzer.
Possession went back and forth in the first few minutes of overtime, but Mattias Ekholm was called for a high stick on a Lightning breakaway chance. Tampa Bay went on the power play with 2:38 remaining in OT. Steven Stamkos made short work of the power play with the game winning goal just seconds later to give the Lightning the win.
Game Notes
1. Tonight Vasilevskiy and Saros put on a goaltending clinic. The teams each had their share of high danger chances, and the goalies made incredible saves on both ends of the ice.
2. The Predators' need to control the momentum of the game. Nashville gave up five power play chances, but even more minutes of momentum afterward. The team needs to bounce back more quickly when the game isn't going in their favor and dictate play for longer stretches.
3. Penalties win and lose games. Tampa Bay was 2/5 on the man advantage and ultimately won the game because of a Predators penalty.