Predators defeat Oilers in OT on Carrier goal, end 6-game skid

NASHVILLE -- Alexandre Carrier scored at 2:12 of overtime and the Nashville Predators won for the first time in seven games, 4-3 against the Edmonton Oilers at Bridgestone Arena on Monday.

Carrier scored from the base of the left face-off circle, capping a 2-on-1 rush with Matt Duchene. Carrier missed Nashville's previous four games with an upper-body injury.
"[The Oilers] chipped it in; I don't know why, I decided to stretch the ice, and [Cody Glass] made a good heads-up play," Carrier said. "They were going for a change, and we got a 2-on-1. [Duchene) was on his one-timer, so I kind of looked him off, shot it and it went in."
Glass had two assists, and Juuse Saros made 30 saves for the Predators (13-13-4), who are 1-4-2 in their past seven games. Nashville won for the first time since a 4-1 victory against the New York Islanders on Dec. 2.
"We came out and played a really solid hockey game," Predators coach John Hynes said. "We deserved to win the game. We did it. I think that's the most important thing when you come out of tough stretches, is that sometimes you're building your game and not getting results. When you do wind up getting results, it's important because … it's not like you hung on and found a way to win. We came out and played a real solid game."
Connor McDavid had two assists to extend his point streak to 13 games, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had two goals for the Oilers (17-14-2). Jack Campbell made 31 saves.
Edmonton rallied from three one-goal deficits but lost its third straight game (0-1-2). It won its previous eight games against Nashville.
"I thought we battled all game to give ourselves a chance and couldn't get that second point," Nugent-Hopkins said. "I thought we battled pretty hard. They played a solid, hard-working game and I thought we matched that well."

Mattias Ekholm put the Predators ahead 1-0 at 4:35 of the first period, scoring on a rebound after Campbell stopped
Thomas Novak's
backhand.
Jesse Puljujarvi tied it 1-1 at 8:42, sending a wrist shot from the right face-off circle between Saros' pads. It was the first goal in 26 games for Puljujarvi, who hadn't scored since Oct. 26.
Jordan Gross gave Nashville a 2-1 lead at 2:57 of the second period with a wrist shot that appeared to deflect off Edmonton defenseman Tyson Barrie.
Nugent-Hopkins tied it 2-2 at 4:22, scoring on the power play following a pass across the top of the crease from McDavid.
Duchene put the Predators ahead 3-2 at 12:02, scoring on the rush with a shot over Campbell's right shoulder. It was Nashville's first power-play goal in seven games.
"I would take a power-play goal any way we could get it," Hynes said. "Just for those guys. We're working so hard to try to find solutions. We know it needs to be better and it can be better. But at times when you kind of have a doughnut for a while, it seems like nothing is going to go in the net. So the fact we were able to get one tonight, hopefully we can now build off that."

Nugent-Hopkins tied it 3-3 at 1:51 of the third period, scoring Edmonton's second power-play goal. The Oilers have two power-play goals in six of their past seven games.
"I think it speaks to the character of our group, the leadership of our group that we believe even if you've given up a goal that you can get right back at things," Edmonton coach Jay Woodcroft said. "The types of goals that we scored tonight were very good. We got contributions from a lot of people. We came into a tough building and got a point. We're ready to take that and move on."
NOTES:McDavid has 29 points (12 goals, 17 assists) during his point streak. He has 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in three games against Nashville this season. … Barrie had an assist, extending his point streak to 11 games (11 assists). … The Predators recalled Novak, a forward, from Milwaukee of the American Hockey League. He had an assist and two shots on goal in 13:50 of ice time.