Predators 3, Golden Knights 2 (SO): O'Reilly scores twice, Saros stops 40
Nashville came from behind in the third period at T-Mobile Arena and won the shootout on Roman Josi's goal.
Nashville is the hottest team in the NHL right now, and Friday night in Las Vegas showed how the Predators are doing it: they absorbed pressure, trusted their goaltender and found a way late. The Predators beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 in a shootout at T-Mobile Arena for their seventh win in a row.
According to NHL.com, that streak ties Carolina for the longest in the league this season. Nashville moves to 11-4-5; Vegas is 13-5-3.
How it unfolded
Ryan O'Reilly opened the scoring at 7:56 of the first period, one-timing a touch pass from Steven Stamkos across the front of the net, per NHL.com. Vegas answered at 11:19 when Victor Olofsson drove to the far post and put in a rebound from Ivan Barbashev. It was Olofsson's sixth goal of the season and his second straight game with a goal.
The Golden Knights went ahead in the second. At 4-on-4, at 10:48, Mitch Marner carried the puck into the zone, drew three defenders and found Rasmus Andersson for a wrist shot. That made it 2-1 Vegas through two periods, and The Hockey News notes this was the first time this season Vegas lost a game it led after two.
The lead lasted until 9:44 of the third. O'Reilly picked up a rim-around from Adam Wilsby behind the net, skated out to the right circle and roofed a shot for his second goal of the night. Overtime settled nothing, though Olofsson hit the post.
In the shootout, Trevor Connelly scored for Vegas and Filip Forsberg and Roman Josi scored for Nashville. Jack Eichel missed for the Golden Knights before Josi won it.
The goaltending gap
Vegas put 42 shots on Juuse Saros, who stopped 40 of them. Adin Hill made 30 at the other end.
"Saros was unbelievable," Forsberg told NHL.com.
Vegas didn't hide from how the third period went. "We just didn't really take care of the puck," Andersson said. "Too many giveaways."
Coach Ryan Craig said the problem started earlier. "First two periods, we couldn't separate, right, score-wise, so they hang around," he told The Hockey News. "In the third, I didn't think we managed pucks the way we did in the first two periods."
What it means
For Nashville, it was a seventh comeback win of the season, according to NHL.com, and more evidence that this group doesn't fold when it falls behind. "That's why we're on a winning streak," coach Andrew Brunette said, crediting the team's belief. Josi, who scored the shootout winner, now has 23 points (two goals, 21 assists) in 20 games. NHL.com says no Predator has had 21 assists through 20 games before.
For Vegas, a point from a game it controlled for long stretches is something, and Marner's assist made him the fourth Golden Knight with a 10-game home point streak. But Craig's point stands: with 42 shots on goal, Vegas needed more than a one-goal lead to show for it. The Golden Knights open a five-game homestand against Vancouver on Sunday.