Stamkos, Josi each has goal, assist in Predators win against Avalanche

NASHVILLE -- Steven Stamkos, Roman Josi and Gustav Nyquist each had a goal and an assist for the Nashville Predators in a 5-2 win against the Colorado Avalanche at Bridgestone Arena on Saturday.

Filip Forsberg and Colton Sissons also scored for the Predators (4-6-1), who had lost two in a row but have won four of six (4-1-1). Juuse Saros made 28 saves.

“Any time you win you feel a lot better,” Stamkos said. “It’s a contagious feeling so hopefully we can build on that. You look at the stretch that we’ve put together, what’s it, five of six with a point? You have to get something positive out of the stretch that we’ve had, but I think we have more to give. It’s just a matter of staying consistent and making the right play and wanting to make some plays.”

Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon each had a goal and an assist to extend his season-opening point streak to 12 games for the Avalanche (5-7-0), who have lost three in a row. Justus Annunen made 20 saves.

“You felt like you [did] enough at times to win,” Makar said. “That’s just not the fate that we’re getting right now. I thought we played really well in that second period, just unfortunately gave up two tough ones. One on the [penalty kill], and then guys kind of got stuck out there on another one. I felt like those were really the only two chances we gave them in the second, and they capitalized.”

Makar gave Colorado a 1-0 lead at 2:54 of the second period on a 4-on-3 power play with a wrist shot from the top of the right circle.

“He’s playing really well, and not just offensively,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said of Makar. “He didn’t like some of his defending games early in the season. I feel like he’s really turned a corner with that. He’s been paying attention to the way he’s closing out plays and staying assertive and aggressive on the defending side, and it’s leading to continued offense for him.”

Stamkos tied it 1-1 at 8:31 with a power-play goal on a one-timer that went in off the glove of Annunen.

“I’ve been around for a long time,” Stamkos said. “I’ve hit countless posts in my career. It’s not as bad of a sign as you think it is because if you’re not getting the chances and you’re not getting the looks, that’s when you worry. Eventually they’re going to go in. Tonight’s an example. Shot, goalie, hits off his glove and goes in the net. We’ll certainly take it.”

Sissons gave Nashville a 2-1 lead at 18:40 on a redirection of a shot from the point by Marc Del Gaizo.

“Baby steps here,” Sissons said. “We had a good game today. Felt good about it. We’ve just got to build from there and hopefully build some swagger and some confidence moving forward.”

Josi extended it to 3-1 at 5:15 of the third period on the power play with a one-timer from the slot on a pass from Stamkos. It was his first goal of the season.

“It wasn’t perfect, but we found a way to win it,” Josi said. “I think the penalty kill was huge in the second there. [Saros] made some great saves. I think the penalty kill gave us a lot of momentum, and I thought our third period was pretty good. Lots to build on. It’s hard to win in this league, so we’re definitely happy about the win.”

MacKinnon cut it to 3-2 at 17:43 on a sharp-angle backhand shot from the goal line that banked in off Saros' shoulder inside the left post.

Forsberg scored an empty-net goal to make it 4-2 at 18:46, and Nyquist also scored into an empty net at 19:19 for the 5-2 final.

NOTES: MacKinnon and Makar became the fourth set of teammates in NHL history with simultaneous season-opening point streaks of at least 12 games. The others: Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito with the Boston Bruins in 1973-74 (15 games each); Dimitri Kvartalnov and Joe Juneau with the Bruins in 1992-93 (14 games each); and Kevin Stevens (13 games), Mario Lemieux (12 games) and Ron Francis (12 games) with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992-93. … Stamkos scored his 216th career power-play goal, passing Joe Nieuwendyk for 13th most in NHL history. … Avalanche forward Nikita Prishchepov made his NHL debut. He finished with two shots on goal in 13:30 of ice time.