Avs level score in final seconds, but Predators prevail in shootout

Ryan O'Reilly scored the only goal in the shootout, Juuse Saros made 39 saves through overtime and one more in the tiebreaker, and the host Nashville Predators beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 on Tuesday night.

Brady Skjei, Jonathan Marchessault and Reid Schaefer scored regulation goals for Nashville, which has won five of its last seven games.

Cale Makar, Brock Nelson and Artturi Lehkonen had goals, Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas had two assists each, and Scott Wedgewood turned away 25 shots for Colorado.

Wedgewood, who missed the last three games, was taken out of the shootout after Filip Forsberg crashed into him on the Predators second attempt.

The Avalanche, who finished their road trip 2-1-1, host Nashville on Saturday night.

The score was tied at 2-all when Skjei scored with eight minutes left in the third period on a wrister the blueline through a screen.

Wedgewood went off for an extra skater with 2:43 left, Colorado went on the power play with 1:38 remaining, and Makar tied at 19:52.

Nelson gave the Avalanche a 1-0 lead when he skated into the Predators zone, deked by Roman Josi and slid a backhander through Saros' pads 1:12 into the game.

It was Nelson's fifth goal in his last six games.

Nashville answered with a pair of goals 1:25 apart later in the first. Marchessault got a pass from O'Reilly and put a shot on Wedgewood from the right circle. The rebound bounced in front of the goaltender and Marchessault knocked it in at 4:05.

Schaefer gave Nashville a 2-1 lead when he grabbed the puck from the corner, skated to the front of the net and beat Wedgewood at 5:30.

Colorado got the equalizer midway through the first period. MacKinnon kept the puck in the Predators zone, passed it to Necas along the boards, and Necas put a shot on net. Lehkonen battled with Adam Wilsby for the rebound and was able to spin around and tap it in at 10:21.

--Field Level Media