NASHVILLE — Ryan Johansen got the winning goal in the sixth round of the shootout to lift the Nashville Predators to a 2-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night.
Frederick Gaudreau scored in regulation and Juuse Saros made 33 saves through overtime to help the Predators win their third straight.
Juuse Saros (Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports)
Brian Boyle scored for the Devils and Keith Kinkaid made 27 saves. New Jersey, which rallied for an overtime win at home against Vegas on Friday night, lost for the third time in four games.
In the shootout, Johansen took a slow approach before slipping a quick wrist shot by Kinkaid.
Kyle Palmieri scored in the first round of the tiebreaker for New Jersey, and Ryan Ellis got one for Nashville in the second round.
With 1:31 remaining in the third, Boyle fired a rebound of Marcus Johansson’s shot past Saros to send it to overtime. The Devils had lifted Kinkaid for an extra attacker less than a minute prior to Boyle’s goal.
Gaudreau scored the game’s first goal with 1:17 left in the opening period. Miikka Salomaki’s shot from the left circle was kicked away by Kinkaid, but the rebound landed right on Gaudreau’s stick, and he converted into the open net for his second.
Mattias Ekholm picked up the secondary assist on the goal, extending his point scoring streak to four games. Ekholm has picked up at least one point in his last six games against New Jersey.
Roman Josi appeared to double Nashville’s lead at 11:34 of the second on a power play. New Jersey challenged the goal for goaltender interference and the video review determined that Nashville’s Colton Sissons did impede Kinkaid’s attempt to make the save.
Nashville has not scored on the power play in its last five games.
NOTES: The Predators are 10-0-0 against Eastern Conference opponents on the season. Nashville concludes its pre-Christmas break schedule with four road games, three against teams from the East. … Saros is 3-0-1 in four career games played against the Devils. … New Jersey LW Taylor Hall missed his second consecutive game with a lower-body injury. … The Devils had won their previous three games played in Nashville. … Sissons’ career-best four game point scoring streak ended. .. Nashville is 17-1-0 when scoring first this season.
UP NEXT
Devils: Host Toronto on Tuesday night.
Predators: Att Ottawa on Monday night.
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Jim Diamond, The Associated Press
