Preds Come Back to Beat Blackhawks for Second Straight Win

Filip Forsberg put on a show, and Brady Skjei scored the game-winning goal on the power play as the Nashville Predators came back to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks by a 3-2 final on Friday night at United Center.

The result gives the Preds their second straight victory as they fought to overcome a two-goal deficit in what eventually turned out to be another satisfying effort in a gritty road win.

“You take any win on the road, for sure,” Skjei said. “But to see us come back in a game like this and get two points is massive, and you just try to keep that momentum going here after a couple good wins.”

“Gutsy win,” Preds Head Coach Andrew Brunette said. “You're down two on the road, two pucks down on the road, and find a way to have some big kills, and a big shorty. Fil made an outstanding play to kind of get us back in the game, and then Brady at the end. So, it wasn’t pretty, but we did some things, and [we] still continue to build our game here a little bit.”

In addition to Forsberg and Skjei, Gustav Nyquist scored a shorthanded goal for the Preds - the 200th of his NHL career - and Juuse Saros made 27 saves in the effort as Nashville completed their first multi-goal comeback since March 26 of last season.

“It got better,” Forsberg said of his team’s effort in the win. “It started a little slow, obviously. I thought they were better in the first, but then we started fighting back… I thought the penalty kill played excellent…and then the power play stepped up huge there in the third and got us a win.”

Former Predators forward Craig Smith gave Chicago a 1-0 less than three minutes into the game, and Connor Bedard put the Blackhawks up by two goals just over five minutes into the second period.

Chicago appeared to go up by three with a power-play tally, but Nashville challenged that the play was offside, and Preds were successful in their venture - a moment that would turn the game.

“It was obviously a big swing,” Forsberg said of the review. “That's why we’ve got the video crew [Lawrence Feloney and Andrew Meloche] back there. They were working their butts off for us, best crew in the League. And obviously it was a great call.”

Just minutes later, Forsberg took a pass from Nyqust and split the Chicago defense before going backhand to forehand for one of the prettiest tallies in the League this season. Just over three minutes after that, Nyquist found himself with the puck on a shorthanded 2-on-1 break, and the winger picked his spot past Blackhawks goaltender Petr Mrazek to even the score at 2-2 headed into the final frame.

Then, in the dying moments of a late power play, Skjei’s wrist shot found its way past a screen in front from Mark Jankowski and into the cage to give the Preds the only lead they’d need all night.

“That doesn't go in if Janks isn't standing there,” Skjei said. “It was a great screen. I had my head up and saw that he was right in front of the goalie's eyes, so, just shot it and hit that right half the net. It was a big goal, and a good way to get us back in the game and we take the lead, and then finish it off.”

The Predators won’t have long to celebrate Friday’s effort as they’ll quickly turn their attention to hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets tomorrow night, and Nashville knows there will be more to build on once they fully digest the triumph in Chicago.

“I don't think the mindset really has changed,” Forsberg said. “If you go through a five-game losing streak in the middle of the season, it certainly doesn't look as bad as when you’re 0-5, right? But I think we’re doing a lot more of the right things. I thought [Tuesday’s win over] Boston was the best game. This was a little bit of a step back, but at the right moments, [I thought we] played well enough to win and definitely some new stuff to take with us.”

Notes:

Nashville kept the same lineup on Friday as they had during Tuesday’s win over Boston. Juuso Parssinen, Philip Tomasino and Dante Fabbro were scratched for the Predators.

The Preds are right back on the ice Saturday when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets at Bridgestone Arena for Pride Music Heritage Night at 7 p.m. CT.