Four down, one to go.
Filip Forsberg became the franchise’s second all-time scoring leader and Kiefer Sherwood tallied twice as the Nashville Predators grabbed their fourth straight win by a 4-2 decision over the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center on Saturday.
Weathering a push from San Jose in the third period, Nashville emerged victorious and bolstered their position in the Western Conference’s second Wild Card spot with two big points.
“We found a way, and we dug in when we needed to,” Sherwood said. “The most important thing is getting the win right now. And there’s ups and downs, but we just stuck through it and stick to our script. It’s not always going to be the best start with all these games coming in, but we finished strong and that’s what matters.”
"I liked the way we closed the game out,” Head Coach Andrew Brunette said. “It was a hard game. We knew they'd be hungry and excited, they hadn’t played for a few games. I thought they had a lot of energy and gave us a pretty good push, and I liked our second period. The third didn't start off the way we really wanted, but I thought we got to our game and I liked how we closed it out.”
The result moves Nashville to 31-25-2 on the campaign, 17-10-2 on the road and 4-0-0 on their five-game road trip.
QUICK HITS
Forsberg Passes Legwand
Though Forsberg has already eclipsed a number of franchise milestones, his 27th goal on the campaign earned the forward one of his most significant yet.
With 567 points (266g-301a) in 674 career games, Forsberg passed Predators legend David Legwand (566 points in 956 GP) to move into second place on the franchise’s all-time scoring list.
“It's cool,” Forsberg said. “I think it's something that you'll look back on when you're gray and old and then obviously think a little bit more about. I was fortunate enough to play with him for a little bit at the start of my career, so it’s cool.”
“[Legwand] was a really good player in this League for a long time and Fil has been too,” Brunette said. “So to be the Nashville Predators current second-most points leader is a pretty cool thing, and there's still lots of hockey left in him.”
Only teammate Roman Josi (654 points in 885 GP) has more.
Woody Double Dips
With his sixth and seventh goals of the season, Sherwood recorded the second multi-goal performance of his career and the first since April 14, 2023.
“I just try to keep it simple and play to my identity,” Sherwood said. “I'm trying to get pucks back from my linemates. So, whether it's setting up [Smith] at the end or [McCarron] in the second, it's just that relentless and blue-collar work that's our expectation as a line. And so if we can bring the energy for the rest of the fellas, we like where we’re at.”
With the tallies, Sherwood matched a career high in goals (7 in 2022-23) and established a career high in points (15); his previous best was set during the 2022-23 season.
Done, Done, On To the Next One
Nashville will be back in action less than 24 hours from now, looking to complete not only a perfect back-to-back set, but a perfect five-game road trip as well.
With winning performances in their last four outings and plenty of confidence to boot, the Predators exited SAP Center on Saturday feeling optimistic about their next challenge in Anaheim.
“We've got a little mojo in our step, which is good,” Sherwood said. “We’re finding ways to win and every night someone else is contributing. So, that's a good mark of a good team. Four is nice, but we’ve got to finish strong and find a way to get the fifth because these points are coming down to the wire here and it's playoff hockey.”
UP NEXT
Puck drop at Honda Center is at 7 p.m. CT with the game set to broadcast on Bally Sports South, 102.5 The Game and El Jefe Radio.
NOTES
- Egor Afanasyev, Tyson Barrie and Denis Gurianov were scratched and did not skate in Saturday’s game.
- With a primary helper on Sherwood’s first-period goal, Michael McCarron established a career high in assists (8) and points (15). His previous highs were both set during the 2021-22 season.
- The Predators extended their winning streak against the Sharks to nine games following Saturday’s contest. Nashville hasn't lost in regulation on the road against San Jose since Nov. 13, 2018 (4-0-1 in 5 GP).
