Predators top Lightning, extend lead in Central

TAMPA -- The Nashville Predators moved closer to clinching first place in the Central Division with a 4-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena on Sunday.
Filip Forsberg had two goals and an assist, and Juuse Saros made 29 saves for the Predators (51-17-11), who tied their record for wins in a season (2006-07). Nashville leads the Central by seven points over the Winnipeg Jets, who have four games remaining.

"It's a big win and a good test for us going up against one of the best teams in the League," Forsberg said. "This is the way it's going to be in the playoffs, especially on the road, so it was good."
\[WATCH: All Predators vs. Lightning highlights\]
Ondrej Palat scored, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 21 saves for the Lightning (52-23-4), who have lost four of five games (1-4-0) and trail the Boston Bruins by two points for first place in the Atlantic Division.
"For 50 minutes, I thought we did a lot of good things," Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. "I think we got a little frustrated when they got those two (goals) pretty quick in the third. It was too bad because we were really leaning on them for the last half of the second period."
Forsberg made it 2-0 with a power-play goal at 2:46 of the second period, scoring five-hole on Vasilevskiy with a shot that deflected off Lightning defenseman Anton Stralman's stick.
Palat cut it to 2-1 at 7:32 with a shot from the right face-off circle.

Forsberg scored to make it 3-1 at 6:24 of the third period, skating around Lightning defenseman Dan Girardi before beating Vasilevskiy from the top of the crease.
"I tried to just use my speed and obviously I made a nice move on the [defenseman]," Forsberg said. "I kind of ran out of room, so I had to put it short side."
Craig Smith scored off a stretch pass from Mattias Ekholm to extend it to 4-1 at 9:29.
"I thought it was a close-checking game, but I thought we have a lot of opportunities, a lot of chances," Lightning forward Ryan Callahan said. "I liked our time in their end. They ended up getting that third one and fourth one pretty quickly and that took the wind out of our sails."
Ryan Johansen gave Nashville a 1-0 lead at 7:50 of the first period, scoring blocker side on Vasilevskiy on a 2-on-1.

"It would be tough to draw it up better," Johansen said. "We had outstanding goaltending when needed it. And when we needed to bury our chances and make them pay for their mistakes, we did."
The Predators went 5-for-5 on the penalty kill after giving up four power-play goals in a 7-4 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.
"I thought it was great," Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said. "I think the guys played smart and that's all on them. They had a meeting. They weren't happy with it and they straightened it out. They played a smart, hard game, especially with the turnaround."
Lightning forward Steven Stamkos left the game at 3:25 of the second period with a lower-body injury after he got tangled up with Predators forward Austin Watson in front of the Tampa Bay net. Cooper did not have an update.
Stamkos missed the game against the Arizona Coyotes on March 26 with a lower-body injury.

Goal of the game

Forsberg's goal at 6:24 of the third period.

Save of the game

Saros' save on Alex Killorn at 17:35 of the third period.

Highlight of the game

Smith's goal at 9:29 of the third period.

They said it

"Obviously, our effort wasn't good enough last night, and we got the result that we deserved, and today it was complete opposite. Really good effort. Goalies, D, everyone was there to play, and yeah, we got the same result that we deserved as well." -- Predators forward Filip Forsberg
"We don't like to lose games, that's bottom line. We want to win every game, but we are looking at the big picture, and hopefully there is two or three months left in the season. We want to play the right way, and I like the way we played in the first two periods and that's what we will take with us." -- Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman

Need to know

Forsberg, who has 61 points (23 goals, 38 assists), joined J-P Dumont as the only players to score at least 60 points in three separate seasons for Nashville. ...Vasilevskiy has lost three straight starts and is 2-5-0 in his past seven. ... Predators forward Viktor Arvidsson was scratched and is day to day with a lower-body injury. ... Lightning forward Yanni Gourde hasn't scored a goal in the past 12 games.

What's next

Predators: At the Florida Panthers on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET; FS-F, FS-TN, NHL.TV)
Lightning: Host the Boston Bruins on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN1, TVAS, NESN, NHL.TV)