Adam Wilsby said Monday he was hopeful his first NHL goal would come soon after having what would have been his original marker waved off last week.
He didn’t have to wait long.
Wilsby tallied Tuesday night to help the Nashville Predators shut out the New York Rangers by a 2-0 final at Bridgestone Arena. The result gives the Preds a victory to begin their four-game homestand and wins in two of their last three outings.
Jonathan Marchessault also tallied on the evening, and Juuse Saros made 25 saves for his third shutout of the season, but at the end of the night, the attention rightfully belonged to Wilsby.
“It felt great,” Wilsby said of scoring his first. “The crowd and everything, it was just a great feeling.”
“Tonight, we needed that one,” Preds Head Coach Andrew Brunette said of Wilsby’s tally. “I'm really happy for him. Obviously, you hate to see a kid lose his first NHL goal on a little bit of an offside [last Thursday], and the poise he showed today for that goal was really good. And his whole game; he seems like he's a little bit more comfortable every game.”
The line of Marchessault, Steven Stamkos and Filip Forsberg converted again as they did Saturday night - this time with another pretty passing play - at 13:37 of the first frame as Marchessault finished things off in tight to give the Preds a 1-0 lead.
“I think they're enjoying playing with each other,” Brunette said of the Stamkos line. “They've got pretty good chemistry going. They're getting better every game. I thought tonight might have been their best game. [Stamkos] is skating like a young pup right now, and driving through the middle of the ice. And I thought [Marchessault] was really good along the walls and did his thing in the offensive zone, and Fil [Forsberg] is Fil. I think they’ve got a little chemistry going right now, and I hope they can continue to build it every night here.”
That score held through the opening two periods, and then the rookie found twine.
Wilsby, who’s first NHL goal in Dallas on Thursday lasted for about a minute before it was negated due to an offside review, took a loose puck at the point, danced around a man and struck down the slot before sniping a shot into the cage for a 2-0 Nashville lead and a jubilant celebration.
“It's nice to get rewarded tonight, and some great saves from [Saros], and an unbelievable first goal by Wilsby there,” Preds defenseman Luke Schenn said. “I mean, I don't even know how you could dream of having a better goal than that. That was pretty special and pretty elite - speeding up on the blue line, he's dancing and picked the corner. So all in all, it’s a good team effort tonight, and everyone bought in.”
Tuesday’s contest marked the third straight game that has left the Predators feeling better about their play than had been the case in the weeks prior. Now, it’s about keeping that positivity up as they simply search for wins in the standings as they continue past the 30-game mark of the campaign.
“I thought today we looked like a team that's won a lot of games,” Brunette said. “So, it's in us. The last three feel good. I like the positive energy. It's been a tough run for our group. We've had a hard time grabbing that consistency, so we're just trying to build it. I think the little bit of the identity of the last three games is something that we can hold onto and be proud of.”
“We’ve got to keep building," Marchessault said. "Obviously we had a really bad start, but that's in the past now. We look forward and we have three games before Christmas at home for our fans. So [we’re] definitely excited for that statement for us."
And in Wilsby’s case, there’s no better feeling than the one he experienced Tuesday night in Nashville.
“It was cool [to hear the crowd cheer], both when I scored, and then when they announced it as well,” Wilsby smiled. “It was really cool.”
Notes:
Prior to Tuesday’s game, the Predators reassigned forward Fedor Svechkov to Milwaukee (AHL).
Preds Captain Roman Josi (day-to-day, lower body) and forward Juuso Parssinen were scratched on Tuesday.
Filip Forsberg assisted on both Predators goals against the Rangers. Per NHL Public Relations, Forsberg recorded his 53rd career multi-assist game and moved within six contests of tying Martin Erat (59) for the second most in franchise history. Josi (108) leads the franchise.
Nashville’s homestand continues on Thursday night when the Pittsburgh Penguins come to Bridgestone Arena before the Preds host Los Angeles and Carolina before Christmas.
