It was an eventful evening at Bridgestone Arena tonight.
The Preds didn’t get out to the best start, as David Jiříček scored early in a penalty-filled first period. There were a pair of fights just before the two-minute mark, with Zach L’Heureux and former Pred Yakov Trenin, and Luke Schenn and Marcus Foligno, trading blows. All four of them took a seat.
Nashville got a power play seconds later, as Matt Boldy headed to the box for tripping, but short-circuited their own advantage when Filip Forsberg tripped one of the penalty killers himself. Jiříček’s goal came at 6:23, and another fight broke out between Mark Jankowski and another former Pred, Ryan Hartman. That was the night for Jankowski, who didn’t return, but the team at least finally started to get their act together.
Colton Sissons tied the game 1-1 at 8:22, and Forsberg made up for his earlier penalty on the power play by scoring on the Preds’ next power play — with Brock Faber in the box — late in the period. This also moved him into sole possession of the franchise record for career power-play goals.
The second period was lighter on the penalties, at least, with Steven Stamkos scoring in the first minute and Fedor Svechkov stretching the Preds’ lead at 2:07. After that the parade to the box continued, with Brady Skjei taking a hooking penalty around five and a half minutes in. The Preds killed that one off and got a penalty of their own when Faber made a play with a broken stick, then headed back to the skater disadvantage as Schenn finished the period with some interference.
While the Preds were able to finish killing the Schenn penalty after intermission, they were once again shorthanded as an Adam Wilsby clear sent the puck over the glass. Skjei and Juuse Saros got tangled up in the blue ice and Boldy cut the Preds’ lead to two on that power play, at 2:28 of the third.
Play went rapidly back and forth, with Nashville getting a lucky break on a missed high-sticking call against Michael McCarron, but Forsberg finally gave the Preds some more breathing room with a spectacular play at 16:20. The Wild immediately pulled Marc-André Fleury for the extra skater. While Forsberg couldn’t manage to secure the empty-netter despite a couple of tries (and a good save by Boldy), Skjei made it 6-2 with under two minutes.
That finished the game off — a satisfying win with a lot for the home fans to celebrate. Here’s hoping for good news for Jankowski.