National Hockey League
Nashville 5, Washington 4
When: 7:30 PM ET, Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, District of Columbia
Referees: Ghislain Hebert, Dan O'Rourke
Linesmen: Scott Driscoll, Mark Shewchyk
Attendance: 18573

Yannick Weber scored his first goal of the season to give the visiting Nashville Predators a 5-4 win over the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night.

The struggling Predators, who got two assists from Filip Forsberg, had to come back from a 4-3 deficit with two unanswered goals in the third period. Nashville had gone 4-7-1 in its previous 12 games.

The Capitals started off a first-period goal-fest when Richard Panik stepped across the blue line and lobbed a lazy knuckler that fooled Predators goalie Juuse Saros at 9:28.

The Predators responded less than a minute later as Jarred Tinordi wired a hard one from the top of the faceoff circle. It was Tinordi's first NHL goal in his eighth appearance of the season and the 61st game of his career.

Mikael Granlund and Rocco Grimaldi then each got a goal to give the Predators what should have been some healthy breathing room at 3-1 with just under four minutes left in the opening period.

The Capitals snuck to within one before the period was over. Alexander Ovechkin, back from sitting out one game on suspension for skipping last weekend's All-Star Game, scooped up a loose puck misplayed by Saros and put it into a vacated net just 24 seconds after Grimaldi's tally.

Oveckin, at career goal No. 693, is now one goal shy of Mark Messier for eighth in the NHL's all-time career goal-scoring list. He broke a tie for ninth with Steve Yzerman (692).

Then things fell apart for the Predators in the second period.

Just six minutes in, Nashville's Nick Bonino went for a breakout pass from behind the Predators' net. He snapped the puck up the middle, but it hit Saros' stick and deflected past the goal line. The own goal was credited to Panik, his second of the game.

About five minutes later with the Capitals on the power play, Nashville's Calle Jarnkrok tried to clear the puck out of the Predators' end and put it right on the stick of Tom Wilson. The Washington winger drilled it past Saros to give the Capitals a 4-3 lead.

The Capitals took their turn with a wonky play early in the third, though. With Washington on the man advantage, Capitals goalie Braden Holtby made a lead pass up the ice, but Ryan Johansen intercepted it and then snapped it past the bewildered goalie for a short-handed goal to tie game 4-4 at 3:00.

Weber's shot from the point with 4:37 to go slipped past Holtby, who couldn't see past a screen set up by Granlund. The goal stood as the game-winner.

The Predators are back on the ice Thursday, heading to New Jersey to face the Devils, while the Capitals visit the Ottawa Senators on Friday.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Nashville   Washington
Ryan Johansen 2 Points Richard Panik 2
Ryan Johansen 1 Goals Richard Panik 2
Filip Forsberg 2 Assists Alex Ovechkin 1
Mikael Granlund 1 Power Play Goals Tom Wilson 1
Ryan Johansen 1 Short Handed Goals N/A
Juuse Saros .879 Save Percentage Braden Holtby .792
Juuse Saros 29 Saves Braden Holtby 19
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Nashville 24 5 1-4 4-5 12 30
Washington 33 4 1-5 3-4 10 33
Upcoming Games
  • Washington will play their next game on the road against Ottawa. The Capitals have a W/L % of .657 after a win and .688 after a loss.
  • Nashville will play their next game on the road against New Jersey. The Predators have a W/L % of .435 after a win and .500 after a loss.