Zucker's late goal leads Penguins over Predators 3-1

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Jason Zucker scored with 1:39 left to give the Pittsburgh Penguins a 3-1 victory over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night.

Sidney Crosby also scored, Bryan Rust added a late empty-netter and Tristan Jarry made 24 saves for Pittsburgh, which extended its winning streak to three games. The Penguins entered Tuesday holding the Eastern Conference’s second wild card spot.

Mark Jankowski scored and Juuse Saros made 31 saves for Nashville, which had its three-game winning streak snapped. The Predators have been sellers recently as Friday’s trade deadline approaches. The Predators are a longshot in the quest to claim one of the Western Conference’s playoff berths.

With time winding down in the third, Zucker stripped the puck from Ryan McDonagh and then beat Saros.

Jankowski, recalled earlier Tuesday from the AHL, intercepted a clearing attempt by Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang before slipping a wrist shot by Jarry at 7:01 of the third period.

Crosby answered 11 minutes into the third, beating Saros between the pads on a breakaway.

The Predators came out firing in the opening period, outshooting Pittsburgh 17-9 in the first, and the Penguins tilted the ice the other way in the second, holding a 17-5 shot advantage in the middle period.

Rust added an emptynet goal in the game's final seconds.

NEW FACES

After trading away Nino Niederreiter, Tanner Jeannot and Mattias Ekholm in recent days, a couple of players made their debuts Tuesday.

Defenseman Cal Foote, obtained from the Lightning in the Sunday deal that sent Jeannot to Tampa Bay, played his first game as a Predator, spending most of the game playing on the team’s third pairing alongside Jeremy Lauzon.

Luke Evangelista, drafted by Nashville in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft, was recalled earlier Tuesday from Milwaukee and made his NHL debut.