It took just 3:22 for Nashville to take the lead, as the Predators tallied on Tanner Jeannot's goal in the opening minutes. He took the puck behind the net, came out to the left of Elvis Merzlikins and fired a shot that somehow snuck through the CBJ goalie to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.
Nashville goalie Juuse Saros quickly made a nice stop on the other side, as Patrik Laine centered to Liam Foudy for a redirect from in close, but Saros but the stop to keep the CBJ youngster without a regular-season NHL goal.
Columbus did get one, though, early in the second on the power play. Some nice puck movement from Laine to Seth Jones got the puck to Bjorkstrand in the right circle, and his shot went off Atkinson in front and landed at the feet of Roslovic for him to whack past Saros at the 2:08 mark, making it a 1-1 game.
Merzlikisn made a nice stop on the other side later in the period to keep the game tied, as Luke Kunin and Yakov Trenin came in on a 2-on-1. Trenin took Kunin's pass and fired, but Merzlikins made the save before Trenin lost his footing and clattered into the CBJ goalie.
But Nashville was able to retake the lead with 2:07 to go in the period on a turnover by Laine. His pass to a trailing CBJ player was too hot to handle on the rush and sprung the Predators on a 2-on-0, and Calle Jarnkrok didn't miss, beating Merzlikins past the glove to give the Preds a 2-1 lead.
Columbus quickly had the answer, though, as Bjorkstrand tied the game 2-2 with 50.9 left on the clock. Bjorkstrand worked a give-and-go with Mikko Lehtonen before skating into the right circle, and there The Maestro ripped a quick wrister under the far arm of Saros to tie the game.
Merzlikins denied Trenin again as he came in alone along the right wing early in the third to keep it 2-2. That proved huge when the Jackets took a 3-2 lead with 6:10 to go, with Grigorenko capping a long shift in the offensive zone when he tipped Vladislav Gavrikov from the center point through the legs of Saros.
Merzlikins stopped Alexandre Carrier with 4:41 to go, denying the original shot as Carrier cut through the crease then gloving the rebound, then went spread eagle to stop Ryan Johansen and cover the rebound moments later as Nashville pushed for the tying goal. Columbus then survived Nashville pulling Saros for the extra attacker and Bjorkstrand scored with 0.5 seconds left on the clock to set the final margin.
