NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Juuse Saros made 38 saves, including 21 in the third period, to lead the Nashville Predators to a 2-1 victory over the Calgary Flames on Monday night.
Roman Josi and Juuso Parssinen scored for Nashville, which snapped a three-game losing streak.
“We came out, we played fast, I thought we were really competitive on the puck,” Nashville coach John Hynes said. “I thought our execution with the puck was really good, and then I thought we did some good things in the offensive zone where we played fast.”
Nikita Zadorov scored and Jacob Markstrom made 27 saves for Calgary, which concluded a five-game road trip with a 2-1-2 record.
“It was a pathetic effort by us the first two periods for sure,” Zadorov said. “We were a step behind. The energy wasn’t there, the commitment wasn’t there. We weren’t shooting, we were making bad plays, giving up too many chances. So I think it was just an all-around bad effort for us in the first two periods.”
Josi and Parssinen scored six minutes apart in the first and Saros made them stand up, only allowing Zadorov’s second period goal.
Saros had to be sharp in the third, as Calgary had a 21-5 shots on goal edge in the period.
“It doesn’t matter how we play, he always keeps us in games,” Josi said of Saros. “We’re always in a game. If we do a good job in front of him, playing good defensively, we have a really good chance to win any game with him in there.”
Josi was credited with scoring the game’s first goal at 8:26 of the first, but he got some help from a fortunate bounce off Zadorov. From the right point, Josi fired a one-timer toward the Calgary net. Just to the left of Markstrom, Cody Glass was entangled with Zadorov and Josi’s shot deflected off Markstrom’s stick then Zadorov’s leg and into the net.
Zadorov halved the Nashville lead with 1:53 remaining in the second with a wrist shot from the high slot.
Markstrom prevented Nashville from making it a two-goal game with 58.3 seconds remaining in the second when he made an acrobatic stacked pad save on Mikael Granlund’s shot from the right side.
POTENTIAL TYING GOAL NEGATED
Tyler Toffoli appeared to tie the game at 3:58 of the third after the puck entered the Nashville net following a goalmouth scramble. A video review overturned the goal after it was determined that Toffoli directed the puck into the net with his skate in a distinct kicking motion.
“I don’t like saying kicked in because there’s one night that’s a goal and then we have one night it’s not a goal,” Calgary coach Darryl Sutter said. “Obviously, we’re saying it’s a goal and they’re happy it’s not, but it could be the other way.”
PARSSINEN TIES ROOKIE RECORD
Parssinen’s first period goal extended his point streak to seven games, tying a Nashville franchise record previously set by Filip Forsberg in 2014.
Over his current streak, Parssinen has two goals and seven assists.
PK SUCCESS
The Flames entered Monday with the NHL’s seventh ranked penalty kill at 82.1% and denied Nashville on their three opportunities with the man advantage in the game. Calgary has allowed just one power-play goal in their last nine games.
While the Flames were officially 3-3 on the penalty kill, Parssinen’s goal came 10 seconds after his penalty expired and Nashville’s second power play lasted just 17 seconds due to a series of penalties.
UP NEXT
Predators: Host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.
Flames: Host the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night.
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