Canadiens rally, end Predators' 8-game winning streak in OT

NASHVILLE – Nick Suzuki scored 17 seconds into overtime for the Montreal Canadiens, who ended the Nashville Predators’ eight-game winning streak with a 4-3 victory at Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday.

Suzuki scored the game-winner with a one-timer below the left circle off a pass from Cole Caufield.

“It’s a nice feeling,” Suzuki said. “We could’ve won a couple in Florida there (last week). It’s nice to be on the winning side of that overtime.”

Caufield had two assists, and Jake Allen made 25 saves for the Canadiens (24-28-10), who were coming off a 4-3 shootout loss to the Florida Panthers on Thursday, and a 4-3 shootout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.

Ryan O'Reilly had a goal and two assists, and Filip Forsberg and Gustav Nyquist each had a goal and an assist for the Predators (35-25-3), whose winning streak was tied for the second-longest in their history. Juuse Saros made 26 saves.

“Probably not to the standard that we’ve held, but that standard is hard to keep,” Nashville coach Andrew Brunette said. “A little bit of sloppiness at times. I thought we were really good halfway through the second period. We don’t get a puck deep, take a penalty and they get a little mojo going. It’s a hard league to win.”

Brendan Gallagher scored for the Canadiens to cut it to 2-1 at 16:39 of the second period, beating Saros with a one-timer from the high slot off a centering pass from Jake Evans.

“I think in the second we bent but we didn’t break so to speak,” Montreal coach Martin St. Louis said. “In a lot of our second periods lately, sometimes we tend to break more than bend. We just stayed the course. We knew we could be better during the second period, but we knew we were playing a really good team and sometimes you’ve just got to weather the storm.”

David Savard tied it 2-2 just six seconds later when his dump in from center ice along the right boards ricocheted off a stanchion and caromed into the empty net, which Saros had skated behind to play the puck.

“Obviously, just a bad bounce,” O’Reilly said. “He was just trying to rim the puck and it goes in. [Saros] is making the right read, and it’s just one of those things that happens. We’ve gotten some good bounces too along the stretch here. It’s unfortunate.”

O’Reilly gave the Predators a 3-2 lead at 12:19 of the third period with a wrist shot from below the right circle.

Joshua Roy tied it 3-3 at 14:55 with a wrist shot from the top of the right circle.

“It maybe isn’t showing with the results right now,” Gallagher said. “Individually, I think you can really see a lot of players’ games are being risen to the next level. Even when you look at the start of the year to where we were and where we are now, you can just see improvements and there’s excitement around our team.

“Our coaching staff does a really good job of keeping us positive and understanding, but also teaching at the same time. I think they’ve brought us to a level where we’re starting to feel really good about our game.”

Forsberg gave the Predators a 1-0 lead at 15:24 of the first period, scoring with a backhand from below the left circle off a cross-crease pass from Luke Evangelista.

Nyquist made it 2-0 at 5:11 of the second period. He took a pass in the left circle and fed Forsberg behind the net before putting in the return pass at the left post.

“When you’re rolling, you want to keep rolling,” Forsberg said. “Obviously, we know how crucial the points are. A little disappointed with the effort, but we got a point at least.”

NOTES: Suzuki’s goal was his 100th in the NHL. … Forsberg’s goal was his 30th of the season, the fourth time he's reached the mark in the NHL.