Filip Forsberg scored on the power play, but the Nashville Predators fell to the Winnipeg Jets by a 5-2 final on Tuesday night at Canada Life Centre. The result sees the Preds drop their first contest of the new year in three tries as their five-game road trip comes to an end.
Roman Josi also tallied for Nashville in the loss, and the Preds hit the post at least four times, but they were unable to capitalize on late power-play opportunities as time ran out against the Jets.
“It was a good effort,” Forsberg said. “I mean, in the first period, we're down three, but I feel like we're playing pretty well. I thought that continued for most of the game…but the chances we are giving up are major breakdowns, sadly. And they’ve obviously got some players that can take care of those opportunities. So, kind of bit ourselves in the butt.”
“I thought we came out and played [to] our identity,” Preds Head Coach Andrew Brunette said. “I thought we played fast. I thought we had the puck a lot, and then to give up the first [goal] kind of stung us a bit, and to give up one 16 seconds later, which is never a recipe for success, and [we] let it go a little bit. And we battled back. We were resilient. We tried. [Winnipeg’s] goalie was really good, and we weren't able to get one through.”
Nashville hit the post twice in the opening 20 minutes, but the Jets found themselves with a 3-0 lead on the scoreboard after the first period - including two tallies in 16 seconds - with goals from Morgan Barron, Josh Morrissey and Kyle Connor.
But in the second stanza, it was Forsberg who broke his goal drought with a vintage snipe from the right circle on the power play to get the Preds on the board headed into the third period.
“It was a nice power-play goal, a big goal at the time, it kind of put us back in the game, but it's going to be ups and downs in the season,” Forsberg said. “And obviously there's a little more downs than up, recently, but it was nice to get that one.”
In that final frame, Gabriel Vilardi gave the Jets a 4-1 lead, and although Josi cut the deficit to two once more, the Predators were unable to beat Connor Hellebuyck again. Winnipeg added one more into an empty net before the night was done as Nashville’s road trip concluded with two victories in five tries.
“They obviously have a great goalie on their side as well, and he played really well,” Forsberg said. “And when we did beat him a lot of the time, we hit the post and the crossbar. I think, 5-on-5, we created enough. We got one on the power play, but we needed more. They obviously got one. We had had enough opportunities to get more than [that]...we left a little bit on the board, there.”
“It's going to be nice to be home,” Josi said. “It feels like we've been on the road a lot here in the last couple of weeks, and it's going to be nice to play in front of our fans and play at Bridgestone for a couple games.”
Notes:
Forward Steven Stamkos left Tuesday’s game and did not return. Forward Luke Evangelista also left with a lower-body injury and did not return. There was no update on either player’s respective status following the game.
Prior to Tuesday’s game, the Predators reassigned forward Ozzy Wiesblatt and defenseman Kevin Gravel to the Milwaukee Admirals (AHL).
Forward Tommy Novak returned to the Preds lineup after missing two games with an upper-body injury. Forward Zach L’Heureux was Nashville’s lone scratch on Tuesday as he served the final contest of his three-game suspension.
With the final Canadian swing of the season now complete, the Predators will head back to Nashville to host the Washington Capitals on Saturday night to start a five-game homestand.
