Thursday, February 4, 2021 07:00 PM (ET)

Predators rally late, score OT win over Panthers

Field Level Media
Feb 4, 2021

Filip Forsberg scored with one minute left in overtime as the Nashville Predators rallied to defeat the host Florida Panthers 6-5 on Thursday night in Sunrise, Fla.

Forsberg finished with two goals and three assists.

Jonathan Huberdeau led Florida with his first career hat trick. He added two assists for his first career five-point night.

Sergei Bobrovsky made 35 saves, but he blew a 5-3 third-period lead.

Pekka Rinne stopped all 12 shots he faced in relief to earn the win. Predators starting goalie Juuse Saros, who made 19 saves, was pulled after allowing five goals in two periods.

Matt Duchene was another Predators star, scoring twice, including the game-tying goal with 57 seconds left in regulation. Duchene was stopped on his first two shots on the doorstep before flipping the puck in over Bobrovsky.

The Panthers also got one goal and one assist from Aleksander Barkov. Aaron Ekblad scored Florida's other goal.

Calle Jarnkrok and Roman Josi also scored for the Predators.

The score was tied 2-2 after a wild first period, with Florida leading twice and Nashville answering both times.

Huberdeau scored just 1:28 into the game on a breakaway after a turnover that trickled past Dante Fabbro.

Nashville's power play made it 1-1 on Forsberg's ripped shot through a small opening over Bobrovsky's left shoulder.

Just 67 seconds later, Florida went up 2-1 as Huberdeau got the goal on a deflection.

Nashville tied it 2-2, catching Florida on a bad line change. Forsberg slipped a perfect pass to Jarnkrok, who scored from the doorstep.

Florida took a 5-3 lead after the second period, scoring three goals, including two on its power play.

Fabbro, sent to the penalty box with 24 seconds left in the first period, opened the door for the first goal of the second as Barkov put the puck between defenseman Matt Benning's legs and then passed to Ekblad, who flipped it in for a 3-2 lead.

Nashville tied the score as Forsberg went on the rush and delivered to Duchene, who scored from point-blank range.

The Panthers, after a penalty on Colton Sissons for interference, made it 2-for-2 on their power play as a Huberdeau assist led to Barkov's bad-angle goal from just below the right circle.

Florida took a 5-3 lead as Huberdeau scored from the slot, about 12 feet out, beating Saros' glove.

Nashville pulled its goalie and scored on Josi's blast with 2:06 left in the third.

Florida challenged the goal, but was denied and, by rule, were hit with a two-minute penalty. Nashville pulled its goalie again, giving the Predators a 6-on-4 advantage, which resulted in Duchene's goal.

--Field Level Media

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