Filip Forsberg and Yakov Trenin scored in the final minute of the third period as the Nashville Predators rallied for a dramatic 4-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Monday at Bridgestone Arena.
Forsberg (2g) and Gustav Nyquist (2a) led Nashville with two points apiece. Juuse Saros made 25 saves in goal for the Predators, who moved to 7-10-0 on the season and 5-4-0 at home.
Both teams had some penalty trouble early, and the Predators gave up their first shorthanded goal of the season to Andrew Cogliano and the Avalanche with six minutes remaining in the first period.
On a delayed penalty for Colorado, Cody Glass joined as the extra attacker for Nashville and fired a lead pass to Forsberg, who found the back of the net to tie the score at 1-1 heading into the first intermission.
The Predators took their first lead of the game less than four minutes into the second period, when Jeremy Lauzon floated a puck over the line for his first goal of the season to make it 2-1.
The momentum then began to shift in favor of the Avalanche, who tied it up on a rocket from Devon Toews at 8:55 of the middle frame. With Cole Smith in the penalty box for tripping, Colorado retook the lead on a power-play tally from Valeri Nichushkin at 13:33.
The Preds put continuous pressure on the Avalanche throughout the final frame and were finally rewarded at 19:22, when Forsberg swatted the puck out of the air and into the net for his second goal of the night to tie the game at 3-3.
But the Predators didn’t let up; Just 16 seconds later, Trenin punched in the rebound on a Cole Smith shot for the 4-3 final.
PREDS STANDOUTS
FILthy: Forsberg leads Nashville in points with 21 (9g-12a) after tallying a goal in the first period against Colorado. He extended his point streak to five games (7g-2a), and he has points in nine of his last 10 contests (8g-8a). He’s averaged more than a point per game in his career against Colorado, recording 35 points (18g-17a) in 33 games, including five game-winning goals.
Lauzy Laser: Lauzon’s goal in the second period was his first of the season. He scored a career-high three goals for Nashville in 2022-23.
On the Board: Glass earned his first point of the 2023-24 season with the primary assist on Forsberg’s goal in the first period.
The Gus Bus: With two assists on the night, Nyquist extended his point streak to five games (1g-6a).
Yak on Track: Trenin’s goal was his second in as many games. He scored his first goal of the season in Nashville’s 4-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.
THEY SAID IT
Forsberg on the win:
“This was a big one for us. We played well all game against a really good team on the other side At the start of the third period, I thought we deserved to tie the game for sure, and then obviously it could not have happened in a better way than with that goal to win it. But I thought it was a really solid game.”
Trenin on Nashville’s overall performance:
“Nobody quit for a second in our group, and we got rewarded for that… I think we battled hard, we played good. We gave up one goal on the PK, but we played all the way through 60 minutes and we got rewarded for that.”
Lauzon on the significance of the win:
“Obviously we hit a rough patch the last couple weeks. But we're a hard working team and I think we've shown that we have character in this team, and we needed a win like this to propel us forward here. There's a lot of excitement in the room right now and we feel good about ourselves for sure.”
Lauzon on the physical nature of the game:
“It was a physical game. I knew personally, I had to be tough on their first line. I think we did a really good job tonight, and that's how we're going to wear down teams. Obviously, they don't want to play a physical game; they’ve already won a Cup with that core, and they know how to win. They're a really good team. Obviously, we just wanted to be hard to play against; that’s Preds hockey right there.”
Nyquist on the win:
“I felt like we kind of earned that one. I thought it was a tight game, but we shouldn't apologize for anything. I thought we went toe to toe with a really good team. It was a great game; it was a lot of fun and the barn got rocking there. This was a needed win for this team, just for the morale. It felt good.”
Nyquist on looking ahead:
“This is the first time in the season that we’ve won two in a row, and we’ve got to do that a lot more often. So, we can't get too much ahead of ourselves here. We’ve got another big test against Calgary, who we owe one to from the last game, so we’ve got to be ready to go against them right away on Wednesday.”
Head Coach Andrew Brunette on the Predators late comeback:
“We've had a few of those going the other way on us. It was nice; maybe the hockey gods kind of rewarded us… What I really liked was that we didn't change the way we played. We had a little bit of a belief that we were going to get some looks, and we stuck to the game plan. They showed a lot of resilience down the stretch, because we could have, would have, should have missed a few chances. And sometimes when that happens, you kind of shrug your shoulders a little bit. But I thought we just kept going after them and staying on the puck.”
Brunette on the significance of the win:
“I think it's one of those games that you reflect back at the end of the year in a little while, and maybe it catapults you into something. I don't know if it's a measuring stick, but I think if you can go and play against them and win against them, I think it's a self confidence boost. There's a belief that if we do things the right way, we can play and beat anybody.”
UP NEXT
Nashville’s five-game homestand concludes on Wednesday, when the Predators host the Calgary Flames for David Poile Night at Bridgestone Arena. The puck drops at 8 p.m. CT, and the game will be broadcast on Bally Sports South, 102.5 The Game and El Jefe Radio. Click here for tickets.
