Turris' shootout goal lists Predators past Canadiens
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Kyle Turris scored the only goal in a shootout, enabling the Nashville Predators to notch a 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night at Bridgestone Arena.
Nashville (13-6-2) earned its eighth win in nine games. Montreal (8-12-3) dropped its fourth consecutive game.
The Canadiens could have forced an extra round in the shootout, but Pekka Rinne stopped Max Pacioretty to end it.
Montreal forced overtime at 19:04 of the third period, shortly after Ryan Johansen and Viktor Arvidsson whiffed on potential empty-net goals that would iced the game. Joe Morrow wristed a shot through net-front traffic for his third goal.
Filip Forsberg scored two power-play goals for Nashville, his 10th and 11th of the year. He poked home a rebound at 19:58 of the first period with Jonathan Drouin in the box after a brilliant rush by P.K. Subban.
Forsberg then gave the Predators their first lead at 3:16 of the third period with Andrew Shaw off for hooking. Craig Smith won a puck battle behind the net and fed his open teammate in the slot for a wrister that beat Antti Niemi.
Playing without their top defense pairing and still without All-Star goalie Carey Price, Montreal was able to stifle the Predators, who entered the night having scored 37 goals in their last eight games.
The Canadiens failed to take advantage of 65 seconds of five-on-three power play time in the first three minutes of the game, as Rinne came up with four stops. But Montreal did net the first goal at 12:47 of the first period as defenseman Jordie Benn skated unfettered into the slot and beat Rinne with a stick-side wrister for his second goal.
Rinne (12-3-2) finished with 27 saves. Niemi (0-4-1) stopped 31 shots.
NOTES: Montreal D Shea Weber (lower-body injury) missed his second straight game. Drawing into the lineup was 26-year-old Jakub Jerabek, whom the team recalled from its AHL affiliate in Laval for his first NHL game. ... Nashville's 5-3 win Monday night over Winnipeg marked the 10th time in 20 games it had scored at least four goals, tying a franchise record held by the 2006-07 team. ... Joining Weber on the scratch list for the Canadiens were D Victor Mete and C Torrey Mitchell. ... The Predators made one change to their lineup, inserting C Frederick Gaudreau and scratching LW Cody McLeod.