Neal goal in OT lifts Predators past Jets
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- James Neal's power-play marker at 2:11 of overtime Monday night lifted the Nashville Predators to a 5-4 win over the Winnipeg Jets at Bridgestone Arena.
It was the 20th goal of the season for Neal, who took a pass from Roman Josi, deked around a defender and slotted a wrister by Connor Hellebuyck.
Nashville (34-24-11) evened the score at 4:23 of the third period on Ryan Johansen's 12th goal of the season, a wrister from a bad angle that struck Hellebuyck and trickled over the goal line.
Pekka Rinne (26-16-8) made 30 saves for the Predators, including one on a breakaway by Patrik Laine just before Dustin Byfuglien put Nashville on the man advantage by hooking Johansen at 1:37.
Hellebuyck (22-18-4) stopped 37 shots for Winnipeg (30-33-7).
Winnipeg started the scoring at 3:40 of the first period on its first shot. Captain Blake Wheeler rifled a point blast through traffic on the power play for his 21st goal of the season.
Byfuglien made it 2-0 at 12:11 by squeezing a wrister through the pads of Rinne for his 11th goal of the season.
But Nashville responded 23 seconds later with a wrister from Austin Watson, a goal that stood after a replay review for a possible offsides. It was Watson fifth marker, and his first in 26 games.
Predators captain Mike Fisher equalized at 19:49 with a backhander from the slot off a nice feed by Craig Smith, his 17th goal. Nashville took its first lead 19 seconds into the second period as Filip Forsberg slotted a wrister from the left faceoff circle for his 28th tally.
That edge lasted just over three minutes as Laine wired a wrister from the right faceoff circle for his 33rd goal. Winnipeg regained the lead at 4-3 at 8:39 when Joel Armia notched his eighth goal on a wrister from the front edge of the left faceoff circle.
The Jets had a goal erased at 13:01 when offsides occurred before Mathieu Perreault potted his eighth goal off a rebound. Replay showed the puck was behind the blue line with two Winnipeg players in the offensive zone.
NOTES: Winnipeg D Jacob Trouba (upper-body injury) missed Monday night's game after being hurt in a fight with Calgary's Sam Bennett Saturday night. ... Nashville recalled RW Miikka Salomaki from AHL Milwaukee Sunday. Salomaki was injured on Oct. 15 in Chicago, then suffered a second injury during a conditioning assignment in Milwaukee. He remains on IR. ... The Jets scratched G Ondrej Pavalec, LW Nic Petan and D Toby Enstrom. ... Nashville scratches were D Brad Hunt, LW Harry Zolnierczyk, D Matt Irwin, LW Kevin Fiala and C Vernon Fiddler.