Forsberg scores twice including in OT to lift Predators over Blackhawks for a 4th straight win
CHICAGO (AP) — Filip Forsberg scored his second goal of the game at 1:05 of overtime to lift the Nashville Predators to a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday. Forsberg stole the puck from Andre Burakovsky behind the Chicago net, skated to the left side and fired a high shot past Spencer Knight for his 32nd goal, giving the Predators their longest winning streak of the season at four games. Forsberg also set up Steven Stamkos' team-leading 34th goal that tied it at 2 at 9:43 of the third period, about 11 seconds after a high-sticking penalty to Connor Bedard expired.
Stamkos notched his third goal in two games by redirecting Forsberg’s pinpoint pass off the right post and in. Bedard scored his team-leading 29th goal and Nick Lardis connected as the Blackhawks lost their second straight. Nashville, 5-1-1 in is last seven, improved to 75 points (33-28-9) and held on to the second Western Conference wild-card slot.
The Predators were in last place in the NHL on Dec. 8. Knight made 30 saves.
Juuse Saros blocked 26 shots in his return from an upper-body injury. Lardis opened the scoring at 4:34 of the second period to cap a 2-on-1 break. His pass, intended for Frank Nazar, deflected in off the stick of Nashville defenseman Nicolas Hague.
Forsberg tied it at 1 just under two minutes later, sweeping in Jonathan Marchessault’s feed as he cut down the slot. Bedard scored with 6:03 left in the second to restore Chicago's lead at 2-1. Blackhawks defenseman Matt Grzelcyk left in the first period after a shoving match with Nashville’s Erik Haula.