The Nashville Predators outscored the Florida Panthers 7-3 at Bridgestone Arena on Saturday afternoon. The Panthers, who finished off a four-game road trip, will play nine of their next 10 games at home. Nick Cousins participated in his 500th NHL game.
Nashville(26-21-6) went ahead 1-0 at 2:36 of the first period in their first shot of the contest. Tommy Novak stole the puck from Aaron Ekblad and Radko Gudas on the right wing. He skated into the right circle and snapped a shot past Sergei Bobrovsky for his fifth goal this year.
Florida(28-25-6) tied it up 1-1 at the 7:55 mark. Cousins burned his former team as he released a wrist shot from the high slot by Kevin Lankinen for his sixth tally of the campaign.
The Panthers made it 2-1 with 7:51 remaining in the first. A clearing pass by Tanner Jeannot was intercepted by Brandon Montour on the right wing. He sent a diagonal pass and Matthew Tkachuk redirected it from the top of the crease.
The Predators evened it 2-2 just 47 seconds later. Ryan McDonagh connected a pass from the left corner and Matt Duchene powered in a snap shot from the low right circle for his 17th goal this season.
It became 3-2 for the Preds on the power play with 4:59 to go in the period. Roman Josi pushed a slap pass from the top of the zone and Ryan Johansen tipped it in from the right of the crease for his 12th goal.
Nashville increased it to 4-2 at the 7:40 mark of the second period. Josi sent a long lead pass from his goal line to Colton Sissons in the neutral zone behind the Panthers defense. He went into the offensive zone on a breakaway, through the slot area and scored on a backhand shot at the top of the crease.
The Panthers replaced Bobrovsky in net with Spencer Knight following the goal. Bobrovsky allowed four goals on 12 shots by the Preds.
The Predators got their fourth straight tally for a three-goal lead with 3:37 left in the second. Johansen passed from the right wing to McDonagh at the blue line. McDonagh angled a pass to Josi at the top left circle and he blasted a slap shot by Knight for his third point of the contest.
In the third period, Nashville converted on the man advantage at 8:58 to make it 6-2. Philip Tomasino forwarded the puck from the right circle. Novak shot it from behind the Panthers cage off Knight and into the net for his second goal of the game.
Florida cut it to 6-3 at the 9:58 mark while on the power play. Montour made a square pass from the left point. Barkov snapped a shot from the top of the zone and it was deflected in by Sam Reinhart from the low slot for his 21st goal of the season.
The Panthers pulled their goalie for an extra attacker with 7:23 to go in the third. Yakov Trenin slapped a shot from his own left circle into an empty net with 5:46 remaining.
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