Preds Extinguish Flames with 4-2 Victory at Home

Juuse Saros made 24 saves and Ryan McDonagh recorded two assists in his return from injury as the Nashville Predators defeated the Calgary Flames, 4-2, on Wednesday at Bridgestone Arena.

Nine different players found the scoresheet for the Predators, who have now won three consecutive games for the first time this season.

The first period was a back-and-forth affair, but the Predators managed to jump out to an early lead. A holding call on Spencer Stastney forced the Predators to the penalty kill just over 90 seconds into the game, but Colton Sissons received a drop pass from Roman Josi in transition and found the back of the net for a shorthanded tally at 2:33.

The Flames responded just over two minutes later, when Noah Hanifin moved in from the point and beat Saros blocker-side to tie the score at 1-1.

Just over halfway through the period, Ryan McDonagh fired a shot off the boards and Ryan O’Reilly found the loose puck in the crease to cash in on the rebound and give Nashville a 2-1 lead.

A scoreless second period gave way to a wild sequence of events in the third. Filip Forsberg caught the puck mid-air, flipped it over the net, and tried to bat it in himself. The puck cleared, but Alexandre Carrier was there to fire it in to give Nashville a 3-1 lead. Calgary’s challenge for a hand pass was unsuccessful because a Flames defender touched the puck before Carrier scored.

Nashville outshot Calgary, 29-13, over the final two periods. Juuso Pärssinen gave the Predators a 4-1 lead at 17:22, when he set up in front of the net and redirected Philip Tomasino’s centering pass home on the power play.

Yegor Sharangovich scored for Calgary on a short-handed breakaway with 45 seconds remaining in regulation for the 4-2 final.

PREDS STANDOUTS

Shorthanded Sizzler: The Predators now have two shorthanded goals this season, both scored by Sissons; he also accomplished the feat in the Preds 2023-24 home opener, a 3-0 shutout win over the Seattle Kraken on Oct. 12. He is now tied for third on the Predators in goals with six; through 18 games, he is already halfway to his 2022-23 season total of 12 goals.

The O’Reilly Factor: O’Reilly now has 13 points (7g-6a) in his last 11 games after scoring a goal against Calgary in the first period on Wednesday, which also extended his point streak to five games (2g-4a). 

Return of the Mac: McDonagh returned to the lineup on Wednesday after missing the previous seven games due to a lower-body injury. He recorded two points (2a) and a +2 rating in 21:13 of ice time – the second-most among all Preds skaters – in his return.

THANK YOU, DAVID POILE

The Predators honored David Poile – the franchise’s first general manager and the winningest GM in NHL history – during an on-ice ceremony prior to the game. Following a career in professional hockey that spanned more than 50 years, Poile retired as Nashville’s President of Hockey Operations, General Manager and Alternate Governor on July 1. Poile, who served as a GM for 41 consecutive seasons – the longest-tenured in NHL history – compiled a career record of 1,533-1,172-(192)-178, making him the winningest general manager in the League’s all-time record books. During his time with the Predators, Poile’s teams qualified for the postseason 15 times, reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2017, winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 2018 and earning back-to-back Central Division titles in 2018-19. He also was named the NHL’s General Manager of the Year in 2017 and was a finalist for the award in each of the first three years of its existence.

During the ceremony, Predators CEO Sean Henry announced the formation of the Preds GOLDen Hall, and Poile would be its first inductee. The Preds GOLDen Hall will honor players and other individuals who have positively influenced and shaped the SMASHVILLE community over the franchise’s first 25 years and beyond. In addition to being inducted in the inaugural 2024 class, Poile will also serve as the Preds GOLDen Hall’s chairman and as the leader of its selection committee. More details on the Preds GOLDen Hall will be available in the coming months. 

THEY SAID IT

McDonagh on where Nashville has improved the most this season:

“It's little things. It’s details; it's tracking back; it's getting the puck out of our zone, not making pretty plays and not forcing things… We've had some leads and lost some a while back, but you learn from those and you understand that there's no small player out there. I lloved everybody's effort all night long. We stuck with it and had a great game.”

Sissons on his assessment of the game:

“It certainly took us a minute to get going in the first, but we really got to our game in the second and third and controlled most of it, and really just performed really quite well from top to bottom on the lineup.. [The first period] was just sloppy. We were losing some battles and just not taking care of the puck and giving them too many easy looks. [Saros] made some big stops to keep things tight there in the early going, but we found our game pretty good.” 

Carrier on what Nashville did well in the win:

“I think we were relentless. We had more confidence with the puck as well, making some plays and taking care of the puck. I think we had a few turnovers in the first, but we got going after that. I think we looked good with the puck and hopefully we can build on that and go in St. Louis, and get a big win again.”

O’Reilly on Nashville’s win streak:

“Winning these last few games is huge and hopefully gives us some confidence and momentum. We’ve just got to keep it rolling. We’ve got a chance to play every other day, and we’ve got a chance to climb back into this hunt. There are good lessons from all these games; whether we're playing with the lead or we’re down, we're kind of sticking with it. We're not deviating from our game plan. We're sticking to our structure and working from there.”

Head Coach Andrew Brunette on learning to play with a lead:

“I think it's a little bit of an understanding of where we're at. I think it's a little bit of confidence… Every little play matters. Every puck makes a difference in the game even though you don't think it does – just that mentality. It gets easier when  you continuously think that way and play that way.”

Brunette on the return of McDonagh:

“He's somebody that's arguably the best in the business at closing games, so he understands how to win games and when to make the right plays and the right decisions. So as a coach, you feel comfortable when you see him out there. He can play against anybody, and his understanding, his IQ of winning, is extremely high.”

UP NEXT

The Predators travel to St. Louis for a Central Division matchup with the Blues on Friday. The puck drops at 2 p.m. CT, and the game will be broadcast on Bally Sports South, 102.5 The Game and El Jefe Radio.