The Preds were looking to build off a huge win over the St Louis Blues on Friday night and get one back after a stinging loss to the Jets earlier this season. While it was close, they managed it.
The first period was all Jets most of the way. Winnipeg came out strong and peppered Juuse Saros with shots, forcing him to make back-to-back-to-back saves. A particularly impressive sequence shortly before the halfway mark of the period seemed to stall out the Jets’ offense, but it took the Preds some time to start pushing back.
In the last few minutes of the first, they got some shots on Laurent Broissoit, and with just twenty seconds left in the period Yakov Trenin converted a Roman Josi pass to get the Preds on the board. The second period started much the same, with a few chances for the Jets early, before Broissoit completely lost track of the puck and Kiefer Sherwood was able to set Josi up for a second Preds goal.
A few minutes later, Vladislav Namestnikov was whistled for a retaliatory penalty against Phil Tomasino, who’d just hit him into the boards, and Gustav Nyquist wasted no time in scoring a power play goal to put the Preds up by three. Some great work from Filip Forsberg and Josi (again) set him up, but it was Nyquist’s netfront diligence that got the score.
Mark Scheifele took advantage of a line change to break away, trying to reverse the momentum, but Saros again was up to the task. Sherwood was then called for roughing, with a little help from Neal Pionk in making sure the refs saw it, and the Preds went to the penalty kill. Nashville did a great job, holding the Jets without a shot on goal and getting a shorthanded chance from Yakov Trenin, and Sherwood emerged from the box without consequence.
The Preds got another power play as Josh Morrissey went to the box for high-sticking Luke Evangelista, but this time weren’t able to convert. The period trickled to an end, though tensions on the ice were rising.
The Preds came out with a little more energy in the third, getting some good looks at Broissoit. A good chance from Josi and Tomasino was followed up by another good chance from Sherwood, but somehow neither went in.
Halfway through the third, the Jets were rewarded for their work earlier as Morrissey was able to tap a cross-crease pass past Saros to get his team on the board. Ryan McDonagh tried to break up the pass with a sliding block, but the puck bounced away. Nashville tried to respond, but Spencer Stastney was promptly called for a trip, putting them a skater down.
Winnipeg immediately scored on their power play, with Cole Perfetti getting the tally. The Preds had allowed two goals in 42 seconds, and now had to try to recuperate. They got a few solid shifts in, and Saros got his skates back under him, which was good, as the Jets continued to press.
The finish was nervewracking, as the Jets amped up their offense even more with Broissoit pulled and a few Preds missed empty-net opportunities, but Saros and the team held on for a fifth straight win.