The Nashville Predators defeated the Colorado Avalanche behind a tie-breaking third-period goal from Jonathan Marchessault Saturday at Bridgestone Arena.
Juuse Saros made 31 saves for the Predators, who have now won two in a row after snapping a six-game losing streak. Former Predators goaltender Scott Wedgewood, who was traded to Colorado in November, made 15 saves in the loss.
How the Predators lined up vs. Colorado
Forsberg-O’Reilly-Marchessault
Stamkos-Svechkov-Nyquist
Jankowski-Novak-Evangelista
Smith-McCarron-Sissons
Josi-Schenn
Skjei-Blankenburg
Englund-Barron
Saros
Annunen
Extra: Bellows, Livingstone, L’Heureux (week-to-week, upper-body)
IR: Lauzon, Wilsby
Defenseman Andreas Englund, claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings Feb. 10, made his Predators debut against the Avalanche. He played on the third defensive pairing alongside former Colorado Eagles (AHL) teammate Justin Barron.
Defenseman Jake Livingstone and forward Kieffer Bellows, recalled from the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals Feb. 21, were both healthy scratches.
Game Summary
After a scoreless first period that saw the Avalanche outshoot Nashville 11-8, Sam Malinksi got things going early in the second with a scorching one-timer from the face-off circle that beat Saros at the 1:15 mark. Justin Barron answered just 30 seconds later with a one-timer of his own from the blue line to tie the score at 1-1.
The Predators broke the tie at the 9:11 mark of the third period, when Marchessault cleaned up a rebound on a Luke Schenn shot that bounced off the boards and tucked it behind Wedgewood to give Nashville a 2-1 lead.
The Predators got a four-minute power play to end the period on a high stick from Artturi Lehkonen against Barron and managed to keep Colorado off the board to earn the 2-1 win.
Up Next
The Predators wrap up their weekend back-to-back set Sunday when they host the New Jersey Devils at Bridgestone Arena. The puck drops at 5 p.m. CT, and the game will be broadcast regionally on FanDuel Sports Network South and on ESPN+ for out-of-market customers in the United States.
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