P.K. Subban scores twice in Predators win

NASHVILLE -- P.K. Subban scored two goals and Ryan Ellis had three assists to help the Nashville Predators to a 3-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Bridgestone Arena on Monday.
Viktor Arvidsson had a goal and Pekka Rinne made 23 saves for Nashville (8-7-3), which ended Tampa Bay's (12-7-1) four-game win streak.

Subban gave the Predators a 2-0 lead midway through the second period on a power play. Subban received a pass from defenseman Ryan Ellis and one-timed a shot past Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop.
"I think that our ability to generate offense as a group is pretty exceptional," Subban said. "I mean, we have guys that can skate the puck and have the ability to make plays. I think that when we're at our best is when we really just keep it simple and take what the other team is giving us."
WATCH: All Lightning vs. Predators highlights
Subban made it 3-0 at 12:35 of the second on a slap shot from the point. He received a pass from the left circle from forward Filip Forsberg and took a shot that beat Bishop for fifth goal of the season.
"Last game, I hardly looked like an NHLer [in a 3-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday]," Subban said. "I didn't have a very good game. I think even aside from the two goals, I had kind of a slow start again. I don't know why but when the puck finds its way in the net, sometimes it gives you a boost of confidence. I just had the bounces today."
Arvidsson gave the Predators a 1-0 lead at 4:25 of the first period on a redirection from below the right faceoff circle. Defenseman Roman Josi delivered a backhand pass toward the center of the ice and Arvidsson redirected it past Bishop for his sixth goal.

Lightning forward Tyler Johnson ruined Rinne's shutout bid with 49.7 seconds remaining. It was his seventh goal.
"It was just one of those games where we needed to get the lead and that was it," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "We didn't get it. We kicked the first one in our own net, so right then we were chasing a little bit. We had a couple of early chances to score. We didn't. Rinne was on his game, and after that they skated. It just felt like we were chasing the whole time."
Josi took a hard hit from Lightning forward JT Brown late in the third period behind the Predators net and did not return. He said after the game that he was OK.

"I didn't see it coming," Josi said. "I just saw [Lightning forward Brian Boyle] on the one side, and [Brown] came right around the net. I didn't see him."

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Goal of the game

At 9:55 of the second period. Ellis got the puck to Subban at the point, and he one-timed it past Bishop for his fourth goal of the season.

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Save of the game

Rinne made a save on Lightning defenseman Andrej Sustr at 10:27 of the first period on an odd-man rush. Sustr got behind the Predators defense and received a pass on the rush. He took a wrist shot, but Rinne was able to get his glove on it for the save.

Unsung moment of the game

Josi made a backhand pass on Arvidsson's goal from the half-wall that got to the middle of the ice and to Arvidsson. Josi got around one defender to make the pass that led to the goal.

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Highlight of the game

Subban's second goal of the game came from the point. Forsberg got the puck around the Lightning net and circled around to the left faceoff circle to make the pass. Subban collected the pass from Forsberg and took a shot that beat Bishop.

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They said it

"We had chances. We came out with a little jump in the second. We had some chances to score and we didn't, and then we couldn't get the kill. We needed the penalty kill there. You take those back-to-back penalties, even the second one, they scored right after the guy got out so that hurts a little bit. But ultimately we had 14 shots after two periods, so it's tough to score when you're not generating too much. We just looked like a tired group. We've got to regroup because that was a winnable hockey game for us and we let it slip." -- Lightning coach Jon Cooper

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Need to know

Tampa Bay forward Nikita Kucherov had an assist on Johnson's goal and has 23 points in 19 games. … Nashville's penalty kill is 24-for-24 at home this season.

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What's next

Lightning: Host the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET; TCN-PH, NBCSN, NHL.TV)
Predators: Host the Dallas Stars on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET; TVA Sports, FS-SW+, FS-TN, NHL.TV)