The Nashville Predators returned home after a disappointing road trip to face the Arizona Coyotes.
Nashville started the game strong, going on the attack early and peppering their former goalie Connor Ingram with shots. Kiefer Sherwood opened the scoring up at 5:13, and Filip Forsberg deflected a Gustav Nyquist shot in two minutes later to give the Preds a 2-0 lead.
However, the Coyotes weren’t that easily dealt with. Michael Carcone got them on the board just before the halfway mark of the first period. The Preds had a chance to respond when Troy Stecher interfered with Cole Smith and got sent to the sin bin, but despite a strong effort on the power play, they weren’t able to get the puck past Ingram.
A turnover just before Stecher left the box allowed him to grab the puck and put it past Saros to tie the game at two. Somehow, despite the Preds not mustering much of a team response, Forsberg managed to start a play that Dante Fabbro up for a nice goal just moments later, and the Preds squeaked into the first intermission with the lead.
The second period was a slower affair. Ryan O’Reilly added another power-play goal to his total early on an Alex Kerfoot penalty, but then committed a holding penalty of his own to give the Coyotes a chance on the power play. Clayton Keller converted it, cutting the Preds’ lead back to one at 7:19. Nashville didn’t manage to respond, and the Coyotes pushed their way into the Preds’ zone as the period continued. A rebound in front of Juuse Saros’s net led to a Kerfoot goal at 12:28, tying the game again, this time at four.
Having given up two two-goal leads in succession, the Preds responded, not on the ice, but in frustration. Josi took a swipe at Carcone and was called for tripping. While the Preds were able to kill that penalty off, and finally got their feet back under them, they gave up another goal with under a minute left in the period. It was Carcone’s again, scored cleanly off the rush. Ingram picked up an assist on the goal.
The Preds got a power play to start the third period when Smith drew a penalty less than a minute in, but despite some good effort from the young guns weren’t able to convert. They managed to continue pressing a little after the teams returned to even strength, but then the Coyotes came back. Josi, trying to make a defensive play, committed another penalty, and the Preds went to the penalty kill again.
They were able to kill it off, and then got another power play of their own as Kerfoot sent the puck over the glass, but again no luck. With the teams back at five a side, Nashville continued to press, fighting to get that goal back and tie the game again. They finally managed it, after another great shift from Forsberg, who capped the whole thing off by tipping another Nyquist shot to tie it 5-5 at 13:57.
Unfortunately, Tommy Novak then deflected a puck over the glass and was sent to the box, giving the Coyotes another power play with just under four minutes remaining in regulation. A missed clearing opportunity and an accidental screen from Alexandre Carrier allowed Sean Durzi to give the Coyotes the lead again at 16:33.
The Preds almost got it back right away, but Ingram saved his way through the flurry of chances, and with 1:45 remaining Brunette pulled Saros for the extra attacker. Nick Bjugstad scored into the empty net to put the game away, but Saros left again after the faceoff to try to give the Preds a chance to score two in under two minutes.
They did not.
The Preds play again on Tuesday, at home against the Anaheim Ducks.