Filip Forsberg scored twice, including the game winner one minute into overtime, to lead the visiting Nashville Predators past the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 on Wednesday night.
Pekka Rinne stopped 28 shots, Viktor Arvidsson scored his fifth goal in six games and Ryan Johansen and Mattias Ekholm had two assists for Nashville, which improved to 3-0-1 on its season-high, six-game road trip. Recently removed from ending a 10-game road losing streak, the Central Division-leading Predators now have won four of their past five games away from Bridgestone Arena and five of six overall.
Artem Anisimov forced overtime for the Blackhawks with 2:21 left in regulation, scoring from the slot on a pass from Patrick Kane. Playing in his second game since returning from a 17-game absence due to an upper-body injury, Forsberg ended the night with his overtime goal, assisted by Ekholm and Calle Jarnkrok, not long thereafter.
The Predators opened the scoring at 6:49 of the first period, as Colton Sissons buried a one-timer in the slot past Chicago goaltender Collin Delia. Blackhawks defenseman Erik Gustafsson committed a costly turnover behind the net to lead to the goal. Sissons gathered a no-look, backhanded feed from Kevin Fiala for his career-high-tying ninth goal.
Chicago evened the score on Alex DeBrincat's 21st goal of the season, a power-play tally, at the 17:51 mark of the first period, but Nashville reclaimed the lead just eight seconds later. Arvidsson took a breakout pass from P.K. Subban, cut inside to create a breakaway chance and converted.
Forsberg made it 3-1 Nashville on a power-play goal with 3:34 left in the second period. Chicago drew to within one goal again at the 19:40 mark, however, when Jonathan Toews wristed a shorthanded goal past Rinne on a backhanded feed from Marcus Kruger.
The Blackhawks went on the power play at 6:42 of the third period but were unable to score the equalizer. Chicago was 1 for 2 with the man advantage, while the Predators were 1 for 4.
Nashville leads the season series, 2-1. Chicago and Nashville are not scheduled to meet again until the regular season finale on April 6.
--Field Level Media
Nashville | Chicago | |
Filip Forsberg 2 | Points | Patrick Kane 2 |
Filip Forsberg 2 | Goals | Artem Anisimov 1 |
Mattias Ekholm 2 | Assists | Patrick Kane 2 |
Filip Forsberg 1 | Power Play Goals | Alex Debrincat 1 |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | Jonathan Toews 1 |
Pekka Rinne .903 | Save Percentage | Collin Delia .892 |
Pekka Rinne 28 | Saves | Collin Delia 33 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Nashville | 37 | 4 | 1-4 | 1-2 | 4 | 30 |
Chicago | 31 | 3 | 1-2 | 3-4 | 8 | 26 |