Filip Forsberg and the Nashville Predators earned their third straight win on Friday (Dec. 15), defeating the Carolina Hurricanes in a 6-5 overtime thriller.
It was a high-scoring, back-and-forth affair that saw a flurry of six goals in a span of 6:31 in the second period, but Forsberg’s OT heroics were once again the highlight for the Predators, who have won 12 of their last 15 and improved to 17-13-0 on the season.
Mr. Overtime
Forsberg was the overtime hero for the second time in as many games for Nashville. His OT winner against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday was the 10th of his career, moving him past David Legwand for sole possession of the franchise’s all-time overtime goals record.
Related: Forsberg Climbs in Record Books as Predators Climb in Standings
Forsberg has three overtime goals this season alone, and he has wasted no time in putting games away for the Predators – who, incidentally, are 5-0-0 in games requiring overtime this season. The following are the times of Forsberg’s OT winners in 2023-34:
- 0:14 (Nov. 28 vs. Pittsburgh)
- 0:18 (Dec. 12 vs. Philadelphia)
- 0:33 (Dec. 15 at Carolina)
Forsberg is still on a hot streak and now has 16 points (nine goals, seven assists) in his last 13 outings. He leads the Predators in points (35), goals (16), assists (19), power-play assists (11) and shots on goal (116).
Special Teams Galore
The Hurricanes won the special teams battle early, going 2-for-2 on their first two power play opportunities against a Predators penalty kill that had gone 19-for-20 over the previous five games.
The Predators got one back in the second period, though, courtesy of Ryan O’Reilly. With Seth Jarvis in the box for goaltender interference, O’Reilly found the back of the net for Nashville on the power play to bring the score within one. It was O’Reilly’s eighth goal on the man advantage, tied for the second-most among NHL players behind Brock Boeser’s nine with Vancouver. Forsberg also added a helper on O’Reilly’s goal, extending his team lead in power-play assists to 11.
Pärssinen Does It All
Juuso Pärssinen got the Preds on the board first against Carolina on what may have been the softest shot he’ll score on this year. With his back to the net, he tossed a backhander that just barely dribbled over the goal line before Brett Pesce had a chance to swat it away to give Nashville an early 1-0 lead just over five minutes into the first period. Pärssinen found the scoresheet a second time in the third period, adding an assist on Jeremy Lauzon’s game-tying goal.
The 6-foot-3, 212-pound forward also used his hulking frame to his advantage in the final minutes of the first period, drawing a holding penalty on Carolina defenseman Brent Burns to give the Predators their first power-play opportunity of the game. It was Pärssinen’s 14th drawn penalty of the season, tying him for 18th among all NHL players.
For as much good as he did on offense, though, Pärssinen was somewhat of a liability on the defensive side of the puck late in the second period. A risky play by Alexandre Carrier led to a costly misplay by Pärssinen on the backcheck, allowing Martin Necas a swift path to the net for Carolina’s fifth goal.
Up Next
A challenge awaits the Predators back in Nashville, where they will return to host the Washington Capitals for the second half of the back-to-back set on Saturday. The Preds will have limited time to rest and recover from Friday’s road win as they look to stifle a Washington team that is currently riding a four-game point streak.
Things won’t get any easier for the Predators, who are set to host one of the NHL’s top teams in the Vancouver Canucks, on Tuesday (Dec. 19). Nashville will look to avoid a season sweep at the hands of the Canucks, who have won four in a row and are currently in second place in the Western Conference standings.
