Duchene's three points boost Predators to win against Red Wings

Matt Duchene had two goals and an assist to help the Nashville Predators defeat the Detroit Red Wings for the sixth straight time, 4-1 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Saturday.

Filip Forsberg had a goal and an assist for Nashville (26-14-3), which won its second straight. The Predators were 5-for-5 on the penalty kill, and Juuse Saros made 28 saves.
"I think this was our seventh game in 12 nights, so I'm really proud of how the guys came out strong and were able to grind this one out," Predators coach John Hynes said. "It always helps when you have a big crowd on a Saturday night to give you some energy."

Alex Nedeljkovic made 21 saves for Detroit (18-18-6), which lost for the second straight day and the sixth time in eight games. The Red Wings lost 5-4 to the Dallas Stars in overtime at home Friday.
"I thought we matched their intensity and their physicality, but they made some plays, and we had some breakdowns," Red Wings defenseman Marc Staal said. "That's a very good hockey team over there, and they weren't going to make it easy for us."
Detroit went 0-for-3 on the power play in the first period, including a four-minute man-advantage that lasted into the second period.
"When you are playing on the road and on the back half of a back-to-back, you'd really love to win the specialty teams battle," Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. "At the end of the night, they got one (power-play goal) and we got none. That was the difference in the game."
Nick Cousins gave the Predators a 1-0 lead on the power play at 12:46 of the second, scoring off Nedeljkovic's glove from the top of the slot.
"I feel like we're getting things going," Cousins said of Nashville's second power-play unit. "Our first unit is tough to match, especially this year, but we've been clicking lately."
Duchene made it 2-0 at 14:21, finishing a give-and-go with Forsberg.
"He made a good play to get me the puck with speed, and I was able to challenge the defense and put him into a good position," Duchene said. "He gave it back to me on a pillow with an open net, which is always nice."

Adam Erne pulled Detroit within 2-1 at 18:51. He came out of the penalty box, took a pass from Tyler Bertuzzi and scored on a breakaway.
The Red Wings had a power play early in the third period, but Michael Rasmussen was called for holding 1:28 into the penalty, making it 4-on-4.
Forsberg gave Nashville a 3-1 lead at 10:44, putting in a rebound on the backhand for his 20th goal of the season.
Duchene scored into an empty net at 18:12 for the 4-1 final.
"We did a good job of staying patient and we were able to power through to get the win," Duchene said.
NOTES: Nashville forward Eeli Tolvanen entered NHL COVID-19 protocol Saturday and was a late scratch. … The Predators are 20-0-1 this season when leading after two periods. … Saros is 6-2-0 against the Red Wings in his NHL career. … Forsberg has seven 20-goal seasons for Nashville, two more than the next closest player (Craig Smith, five). Forsberg has played 10 seasons for the Predators. … Detroit defenseman Gustav Lindstrom left in the first period with an undisclosed injury. … The Predators' winning streak against the Red Wings dates to March 23. Because Detroit and Nashville played each other eight times last season when NHL divisions were temporarily realigned, they faced each other for the 10th time in 346 days Saturday. The Predators are 8-2-0.