Ryan O’Reilly broke a third-period deadlock on the power play, and the Nashville Predators turned a tight road game into a 5-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre on Thursday.
Predators erase Montreal’s early edge
Montreal carried a 2-0 lead into the latter half of the second period, but Nashville found its footing before the intermission and finished with three unanswered goals in the third.
- Nick Suzuki opened the scoring at 3:12 of the second during 4-on-4 play. After a loose puck emerged from a crease scramble, Suzuki sent a backhand from the left circle through Juuse Saros for his third goal in four games.
- Alex Newhook doubled the Canadiens’ lead at 8:50, lifting a shot over Saros’ glove after Josh Anderson forced Nashville defenseman Adam Wilsby into a turnover behind the net.
- Alexander Kerfoot got Nashville on the board at 15:06, redirecting Wilsby’s shot from the point. It was Kerfoot’s first goal as a Predator.
- Matthew Wood drew the Predators even on a late second-period power play, scoring from the traffic around the crease at 19:28.
Wood’s tying goal survived video review. The net had come loose after Anderson drove Steven Stamkos into the left post, but the play was allowed to stand.
O’Reilly delivers after Saros holds the line
Saros gave Nashville the chance to complete the comeback when he stopped Anderson on a third-period breakaway at 11:13, sealing the left side with his pad while the game remained tied.
O’Reilly then put the Predators ahead for good with 3:16 left in regulation, converting on the power play to make it 3-2. Adam Edstrom made sure there would be no Montreal response, scoring into the empty net at 17:23 and again at 18:34.
Edstrom’s two late finishes capped a four-goal Nashville push after the Canadiens had controlled much of the middle portion of the game.
Goaltending, reviews and the rink notebook
Saros stopped 32 shots for Nashville, which improved to 2-1-1. Roman Josi and Stamkos each recorded two assists, while Kerfoot added an assist to his goal.
Montreal fell to 1-2-1 and has gone three games without a win, posting an 0-2-1 mark in that stretch. Jacob Fowler made 15 saves in his season debut after being called up from Laval of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.
- Fowler, 21, entered the lineup after Samuel Montembeault suffered a lower-body injury during practice.
- Chris Kreider appeared to score 1:36 into the first period, finishing a Newhook rebound near the crease.
- Nashville challenged for offside, and the opening-period goal was erased following video review.
- Suzuki and Newhook supplied Montreal’s goals, but the Canadiens could not build on their two-goal second-period advantage.
