Nashville opened the game with an offensive push and a drawn power play, as Zemgus Girgensons headed to the box for interference. Filip Forsberg scored to make it 1-0 Preds at 3:53, but Bowen Byram, playing in his first game for the Sabres after being traded from Colorado, got it back almost immediately.
The next stretch continued to go poorly for the Preds, from a second power play–another interference penalty, this one from Rasmus Dahlin–where they struggled to generate any offense and gave up a shorthanded chance, to a sequence of Buffalo pressure that led to Roman Josi high-sticking Peyton Krebs, but the Preds were able to kill the penalty and get back on their feet.
A sequence of back-and-forth play culminated in Josi drawing a tripping penalty with some classic Josi moves, and the long, lackluster power play the Preds got suddenly jumped to life with a strong push by the second unit that led to Luke Evangelista restoring the Preds’ lead, 2-1, at 16:15. The Sabres pushed back, but the Preds got it back together to finish the period without giving up another goal.
The second period started much more strongly for Nashville, playing a tired Sabres team that lost late in OT last night, but after an extended period of unrelenting Preds pressure with no score, the Sabres began to push back. Juuse Saros had to make a phenomenal save on a breakaway, and an Alex Carrier penalty at 13:24 gave them another opportunity.
Again the Preds were able to kill it off and go back on the attack, though they still weren’t able to score. They also got lucky near the end of the period when Michael McCarron appeared to hit Jeff Skinner high–hopefully Skinner, who has a nasty concussion history, is okay. Referee Brian Pochmara had been injured during the first period, leaving the game, and referee Justin Kea missed the hit entirely.
Forsberg opened the third period with his second of the night, a classically-beautiful Forsberg shot off an even better pass from Gus Nyquist. The Sabres tried to recover, but Forsberg was having none of it; he completed his hat trick with a powerful move at 6:43. A quick goal review to confirm the wraparound had actually gone into the net was confirmed.
Buffalo made a recovery there, pushing enough to draw a tripping penalty from McCarron and then scoring right after the power play expired to make it 4-2 Preds at 12:52, goal credit of Owen Power. Play seesawed back and forth for several more minutes before the Sabres pulled Eric Comrie for the extra skater.
Despite opportunities for both teams, including Forsberg making a valiant push for the empty net, time ran out with no further score, and the Preds banked another two points in their unexpected playoff push.