Nashville's power play powers a lopsided win
Ryan O'Reilly produced two goals and two assists, Steven Stamkos matched him with two goals plus an assist, and the Nashville Predators defeated the Colorado Avalanche 6-2 on Sunday night in Nashville. Filip Forsberg added a goal and two assists, Jack Drury also scored, and Justus Annunen turned aside 19 shots to earn his first victory of the season. The Predators entered the game having dropped their previous two contests.[S1][S2][S3]
Nashville's special teams shaped the outcome: the Predators scored on four of seven power-play opportunities, with both of O'Reilly's goals coming with the man advantage. That marked a sharp turn from their prior three games, in which they received only one power-play chance apiece. Roman Josi contributed three assists, and the Predators built a lead they never surrendered.[S1]
Colorado's scoring and goaltending struggles
Artturi Lehkonen and Devon Toews supplied Colorado's goals, and Scott Wedgewood made 29 saves in the loss. The Avalanche have now lost three of their last four games. The two goaltenders on the ice, Annunen and Wedgewood, were swapped for one another last November in a one-for-one trade between the clubs.[S1]
Forsberg opened the scoring at 4:01 of the first period. During a Nashville power play, Stamkos blocked a clearing attempt, the puck reached Josi, and Josi fed Forsberg, who beat Wedgewood with a wrist shot from the high slot. Stamkos doubled the lead at 10:48 of the first from the left side; the play was initially waved off because Colorado defenseman Cale Makar appeared to sweep the puck off the goal line, but video review confirmed it had fully crossed.[S1]
O'Reilly's power-play goal at 6:38 of the second period made it 3-0. Drury and O'Reilly then scored less than a minute apart late in the middle frame before Lehkonen put Colorado on the board with 2:05 remaining in the second. Toews scored at 2:43 of the third period, and Stamkos struck again at 10:24 while Nashville held a two-man advantage.[S1]
What comes next for both clubs
Colorado returns home to face New Jersey on Wednesday night, while Nashville stays home to host the New York Islanders on Tuesday night.[S1]
