Josi scores twice in 3rd, Predators top Kraken to push point streak to 14

SEATTLE -- Roman Josi scored two goals in the third period, and the Nashville Predators extended their point streak to 14 games with a 4-1 win against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena on Saturday.

“It’s the reason he’s probably the… in my opinion, the world’s best defenseman,” Nashville coach Andrew Brunette said. “He just does stuff like he did today and takes over games. And we lean on him all the time for his play and for his leadership.”

Filip Forsberg had a goal and an assist, Tommy Novak scored, and Ryan McDonagh and Mark Jankowski each had two assists for the Predators (39-25-4), who are 12-0-2 during their streak and ended a four-game road trip 3-0-1. Juuse Saros made 23 saves.

Nashville has not lost in regulation since a 9-2 loss to the Dallas Stars on Feb. 15.

“For us, it’s just more of a focus on us on our identity and how we have to play to sustain this kind of streak run or this high level of play,” Brunette said. “We’re just moving straight forward. We’re not looking behind us, and we’re trying to get better every day and keep building and growing our game.”

Andre Burakovsky scored for the Kraken (28-26-12), who have lost the first four of a five-game homestand (0-3-1). Philipp Grubauer made 26 saves.

“[The Predators] were good tonight,” Seattle forward Kailer Yamamoto said. “They were quick on our 'D,' really good on breakouts. I felt like we couldn’t get too much O-zone pressure on them.”

Novak gave the Predators a 1-0 lead at 15:36 of the first period when his cross-crease pass, which was intended for Luke Evangelista, banked off Seattle defenseman Justin Schultz and into an open net.

Burakovsky tied it 1-1 with a power-play goal at 1:24 of the third period. He took a feed from Ryker Evans above the right circle, skated down to the face-off dot and scored on a wrist shot over Saros’ glove.

“We battled back at the start of the third period to make it a 1-1 hockey game on a good power play,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “We felt like we were in a good spot at that point.”

Josi put Nashville back ahead 2-1 with a power-play goal at 3:59, scoring on the rebound of Forsberg’s shot at the bottom of the right circle over Grubauer’s glove.

"It was a good play,” Josi said. “We kind of got them low, 'Fil' made a great play in front of the net, and he almost scored himself. And the puck was kind of bouncing all over the place. I was thinking about a pass first, but I felt like there was so much traffic in front, and I just tried to get it through."

Josi extended it to 3-1 at 9:03 on a one-timer after Jankowski won an offensive-zone face-off back to McDonagh, who fed it to him at the blue line.

“It was the kind of play that we always try to set up a lot off the face-off,” Josi said. “Jankowski did a great job, won it clean, and I think the goalie didn't see it much, so we had a good screen, too.”

Jankowski said: “It’s always nice to get assists when you just win the face-off. When you’ve got a guy like that back there who can rip the puck like he does, if you can win the face-off, usually good things will happen with him back there.”

Forsberg scored into an empty net at 18:40 for the 4-1 final.

NOTES: Josi’s power-play goal was the 62nd of his career. Only two active defensemen, Brent Burns (88) and Drew Doughty (79), have more … Josi recorded his 19th career multigoal game and passed Viktor Arvidsson for the fourth-most in franchise history, behind Forsberg (40), David Legwand (24), and Craig Smith (20).