Predators nip Canucks, extend streak
VANCOUVER — Calle Jarnkrok scored in overtime as the Nashville Predators defeated the Vancouver Canucks 4-3 on Friday.
Kevin Fiala, Ryan Ellis and Mike Fisher also scored for the Predators. Nashville (41-14-9) won its seventh straight and matched its longest winning streak since Nov. 12-25, 2009.
It was the first game out of retirement for Fisher.
The 37-year-old veteran forward, who retired six months ago, is back for his eighth season with Nashville.
Backup goalie Juuse Saros made 24 stops for the Central Division-leading Predators.
Bo Horvat, Brandon Sutter and Daniel Sedin scored for Vancouver (24-32-9), which is 3-8-3 in its past 14 games and remain in second last place in the Pacific Division. Jacob Markstrom was impressive with 39 saves for the Canucks.
Vancouver scored first while on the power play and off a faceoff in the Predators’ zone. Alex Edler ripped a shot from the blueline that Horvat tipped in at 5:55. The assist tied Edler with Mattias Ohlund for first all-time in points by a Canucks defenceman with 325. He added a second later in the game to move into first.
The Canucks made it 2-0 with five minutes remaining in the second as Sutter carried the puck from the side boards, into traffic and ripped a backhand over Saros’s right shoulders.
The Preds got on the board minutes later when Fisher swatted in a rolling puck that rebounded off a Filip Forsberg shot. He almost scored again early in the third with a shot from the slot, but hit the post.
Nashville tied it midway in the period during a 4-on-4. Fiala blasted a hard wrist shot from near the face-off circle that went top corner of Markstrom’s net.
Vancouver jumped ahead 3-2 during a power play midway in the third. Sedin took a pass from Henrik Sedin and lifted his own rebound for eighth goal in eight games.
The Preds tied it again with just over two minutes left. Ellis’s blast from the blue-line cleared enough traffic to squeak by Markstrom and force overtime, when Jarnkrok blasted a shot from the hash mark that beat Markstrom.
• In Calgary, Henrik Lundqvist tied a career high with 50 saves for the second straight start to backstop the New York Rangers to a 3-1 victory over the Flames.
Recently acquired centre Ryan Spooner led New York (29-30-6) with a goal and an assist. The 26year-old has one goal and six assists in three games since he was part of a package traded to the Rangers from Boston for Rick Nash.
Kevin Hayes and Pavel Buchnevich also scored for New York. After beating Vancouver 6-5 to open its tour through Western Canada, the Rangers will go for the sweep tonight when they take on the Edmonton Oilers.
Brett Kulak scored for Calgary (32-25-9), which has lost three straight and is falling back of the pack battling for the final playoffs spots in the Western Conference. Next up is a meeting with Pittsburgh Monday as they open up a three-game road trip.
Lundqvist was excellent right from the start. Getting a power play 27 seconds into the game, the Flames threatened, but could not beat the veteran goaltender.
• In Winnipeg, Patrik Laine scored twice, including the winner, as the Jets edged the Detroit Red Wings 4-3. Laine’s 33 goals has the Jets’ sophomore in the NHL’s top 10 scorers on the season. Winnipeg’s victory is its sixth in its past eight games. At 38-17-9 and 85 points, the Jets continue to nip at the heels of Central Division-leading Nashville. Dustin Byfuglien and Ben Chiarot also added goals for Winnipeg. Niklas Kronwall, Anthony Mantha, and Trevor Daley replied for Detroit.
• In Las Vegas, Alexandre Burrows scored with 8:51 left to lift the Ottawa Senators over the Golden Knights 5-4.
Burrows redirected Erik Karlsson’s slap shot from the point shortly after a pair of Vegas goals tied it at four. Bobby Ryan had a goal and two assists, and Karlsson added three assists for Ottawa.
Vegas has lost three straight and fallen to second in the Western Conference behind Nashville after briefly sitting atop the NHL standings. The Senators snapped a five-game skid and improved to 818-5 on the road this season.