Roman Josi, Eeli Tolvanen and Yakov Trenin scored in a 13-minute span bridging the second and third periods Friday night for the visiting Nashville Predators, who remained perfect on an Eastern Conference road trip by edging the New Jersey Devils, 3-2, in Newark, N.J.
Goalie Juuse Saros made 29 saves for the Predators, who have won four straight overall and the first three games of a trip slated to conclude Sunday against the New York Rangers.
Pavel Zacha and Yegor Sharangovich scored for the Devils, who have lost 10 of 13 (3-7-3). Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood recorded 24 saves.
The Devils took a brief lead shortly beyond the midway point of the second. Nico Hischier was surrounded by Matt Benning and Mark Borowiecki behind the Predators’ net but managed to get the puck to Jesper Bratt. The left winger then passed to Zacha, who went to one knee and fired a shot beyond the outstretched stick of Philip Tomasino and over Saros’ far shoulder with 8:26 left.
The lead lasted just 1:37 before a Hischier turnover deep in the Devils’ zone led to Josi’s goal. Hischier’s pass off the boards clipped off the stick of Filip Forsberg and was picked off by Tomasino. He skated around the back of the net and passed through traffic to an open Josi, who beat Blackwood under the goalie’s stick.
Tolvanen, who scored the game-winning goal with 11.5 seconds to play in Thursday’s 4-3 win over the New York Islanders, broke the tie on the power play with 2:07 left.
Blackwood deflected a shot by Josi and a rebound by Tolvanen glanced off the side of the net before the puck was collected by Mikael Granlund. Tolvanen then dashed into the top of the left faceoff circle, took a pass from Granlund and fired a shot past Blackwood, who was screened as teammate Ryan Graves battled for position with Ryan Johansen.
The Predators scored again following an end-to-end rush 6:11 into the third, when Trenin bore in on Blackwood and buried the rebound of a shot by Nick Cousins.
The Devils pulled Blackwood with more than four minutes left and closed within a goal when Sharangovich scored with 1:05 remaining, but the Predators held New Jersey without a shot the rest of the way.
–Field Level Media
