NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) 鈥� Filip Forsberg scored with 11.1 seconds remaining in overtime, giving the Nashville Predators a 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.
Eeli Tolvanen, Tanner Jeannot and Luke Kunin also scored, and Juuse Saros made 20 saves for Nashville, which has won two of its last three games.
鈥淲e went out and had to come from behind again, but I thought we played pretty well in the third period, and it鈥檚 nice to see us be able to get the win from it,鈥� Nashville coach John Hynes said.
Jake Allen made 40 saves and Nick Suzuki, Christian Dvorak and Brett Kulak scored for Montreal. Cole Caufield had a pair of assists for the Canadiens, who have lost five of six.
On the winner, Forsberg took a cross-ice pass from Mikael Granlund and sent it past Allen. Just before receiving the pass, Forsberg had to retrieve his stick, which was dropped a few seconds prior.
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 call it a set play, but it worked out,鈥� Forsberg said.
Tolvanen scored the game鈥檚 first goal at 4:52 of the opening period. Mattias Ekholm fired a one-timer from the left point that deflected off of the shaft of Tolvanen鈥檚 stick and by Allen for his second goal of the season.
Suzuki made the game 1-1 at 4:48 of the second. With Montreal on a power play, Suzuki snapped a wrist shot from the high slot that beat Saros on the stick side just underneath the crossbar. The goal was Suzuki鈥檚 first in 10 games.
鈥淚 tried to shoot the puck a lot today and luckily one went in,鈥� Suzuki said. 鈥淚t was definitely nice to get a goal and help out and score on the power play, give us a boost of confidence there.鈥�
Dvorak made it 2-1 at 10:01 of the second. After Montreal raced to negate an icing call, Suzuki put a rebound past Saros from just outside the crease.
Nashville challenged the goal, alleging goaltender interference, as Dvorak contacted Predators defender Alexandre Carrier, causing Carrier to collide with Saros. After video review, the goal was allowed to stand.
Jeannot tied the game at 2-2 at 17:24 of the second when he redirected Ekholm鈥檚 shot past Allen for his sixth goal of the season.
Ekholm鈥檚 two assists were his first multi-point game of the season.
Early in the third with the game tied 2-2, Caufield carried the puck into the Nashville zone on the right side. He found Kulak trailing the play, and Kulak beat Saros with a wrist shot to the glove side at 3:10 of the third.
Kunin tied the game again at 10:12 of the third.
GORDIE HOWE HAT TRICK
Saturday was Kunin鈥檚 24th birthday and he was certainly active in the game, recording a 鈥淕ordie Howe hat trick鈥� of a goal, assist and fighting major.
Kunin picked up the secondary assist on Tolvanen鈥檚 first period goal and also fought Kulak early in the third.
鈥淭he birthday boy gets a Gordie Howe hat trick, it doesn鈥檛 get better than that,鈥� Forsberg quipped after the game. 鈥淭he way he competes out there and the goal he scored is the ultimate proof of that. He does a little bit of everything for this team, which is very fun to watch.鈥�
DROUGHT ENDS
Tolvanen鈥檚 goal ended a 22-game scoring drought. Tolvanen had not scored since Nashville鈥檚 opening game of the season, Oct. 14 against the Seattle Kraken.
As a rookie in the 2020-21 season, Tolvanen scored 11 goals in 40 games. Six of his goals came on the power play, leading all Nashville scorers.
SISSONS 400
Nashville center Colton Sissons played his 400th career NHL game Saturday, all with the Predators. Nashville selected Sissons in the second round (50th overall) in the 2012 Draft.
WHAT鈥橲 NEXT
Predators: Open a four-game trip Tuesday in Detroit.
Montreal: Hosts the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.
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Jim Diamond, The Associated Press
