Nick Suzuki lifts Canadiens past Predators in OT

Field Level Media|published: Tue 5th March, 23:06 2024

Mar 5, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators center Gustav Nyquist (14) is played off the puck by Montreal Canadiens left wing Juraj Slafkovsky (20) during the first period at Bridgestone Arena. credits: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Nick Suzuki scored 17 seconds into overtime as the visiting Montreal Canadiens rallied to end the Nashville Predators' eight-game winning streak with a 4-3 victory Tuesday night.

Suzuki one-timed a Cole Caufield pass to beat Nashville's Juuse Saros (26 saves) on the short side for Montreal's only lead.

With the Canadiens trailing 2-0, Brendan Gallagher and David Savard scored second-period goals. Montreal's Joshua Roy tied the game at 3-3 with his late third-period score for the Canadiens, who are 1-0-2 on a four-game trip.

Suzuki also had an assist and Caufield finished with two assists. Montreal's Jake Allen made 25 saves.

Ryan O'Reilly had a goal and two assists while Gustav Nyquist and Filip Forsberg recorded one of each for the Predators, whose run ended up matching the second-longest winning streak in club history.

With the game tied 2-2, O'Reilly took Nyquist's banked pass off the end boards and beat Allen on the stick side with 7:41 remaining in the third period. However, the Canadiens equalized when an open Roy sent a laser past Saros with 5:05 to go in regulation.

The Predators thought went ahead with a little more than three minutes to play, but ex-Canadian Michael McCarron's goal was overturned via Montreal's video challenge due to a high stick.

Nashville opened the scoring when passing between O'Reilly and Luke Evangelista set up Forsberg's successful backhander with 4:36 left in the first.

The Predators went up 2-0 just 5:11 into the second period. This time, Forsberg was in helping mode on a successful give-and-go that netted Nyquist's fourth goal in six games. O'Reilly also got an assist.

However, Montreal stunned the Nashville faithful with two goals over a six-second span late in the second.

First, Gallagher successfully one-timed Jake Evans' pass into the slot with 3:21 left in the middle frame. Then off the ensuing center-ice faceoff, Savard flung the puck from the neutral zone into the Predators' zone, where it hit a stanchion of the corner glass, then redirected into an empty goal with Saros behind the net, where he expected the puck to land.

—Field Level Media