National Hockey League
Nashville 6, New Jersey 5
When: 7:30 PM ET, Thursday, January 30, 2020
Where: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
Referees: Wes McCauley, Corey Syvret
Linesmen: Shandor Alphonso, Steve Barton
Attendance: 14327

Filip Forsberg and Matt Duchene scored in the shootout Thursday night for the visiting Nashville Predators, who outlasted the New Jersey Devils for a wild 6-5 victory in Newark, N.J.

The two teams combined for five ties during regulation and were never separated by more than one goal.

The win was the record-breaking 1,507th (regular season and playoffs) as a general manager for the Predators' David Poile, breaking a tie with Glen Sather for most by any GM in NHL history. Poile spent 15 seasons as the general manager of the Washington Capitals before joining Nashville in 1997, a year before the team debuted.

The win also made for a victorious homecoming for Predators head coach John Hynes, who was coaching against the Devils for the first time since New Jersey fired him on Dec. 3.

Forsberg scored twice in regulation, including the goal that forced overtime midway through the third period. Duchene, Mattias Ekholm and Nick Bonino also scored for the Predators, who are 5-4-0 under Hynes. Goalie Pekka Rinne made 27 saves.

Pavel Zacha had two goals while Nikita Gusev, Jesper Bratt and John Hayden scored once apiece for the Devils, who are 9-11-4 since Hynes was replaced by Alain Nasreddine. Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood recorded 25 saves.

The teams wasted no time getting going in the first period, when they combined for three goals in the first 8:17. Ekholm was credited with the game's first goal just 42 seconds after the opening faceoff before Zacha scored at 4:54. The Predators went ahead again when Forsberg picked up a puck that ticked off the skate of Kyle Turris and backhanded a shot home.

Zacha (at 8:44) and Gusev (at 10:26) scored power-play goals in a span of 1:42 to give the Devils the lead midway through the second. The Predators tied the score on Bonino's goal just 2:22 later before Bratt put New Jersey ahead again with 2:36 left in the period.

Duchene capped an end-to-end rush by the Predators by scoring the tying goal just 33 seconds into the third. Hayden scored off a faceoff win deep in the Nashville zone to give the Devils the lead again at 6:37 before Forsberg evened the score yet again with 10:03 left in regulation.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Nashville   New Jersey
Filip Forsberg 2 Points Pavel Zacha 3
Filip Forsberg 2 Goals Pavel Zacha 2
Roman Josi 2 Assists Pavel Zacha 1
Filip Forsberg 1 Power Play Goals Pavel Zacha 1
N/A Short Handed Goals Pavel Zacha 1
Pekka Rinne .844 Save Percentage Mackenzie Blackwood .833
Pekka Rinne 27 Saves Mackenzie Blackwood 25
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Nashville 30 6 1-3 1-3 6 33
New Jersey 32 5 2-3 2-3 6 28
Upcoming Games
  • New Jersey will play their next game at home against Dallas. The Devils have a W/L % of .368 after a win and .355 after a loss.
  • Nashville will play their next game at home against Vegas. The Predators have a W/L % of .458 after a win and .500 after a loss.