Nyquist leads red-hot Predators past Jets

WINNIPEG — The Nashville Predators continued to be red-hot as they dominated one of the top teams in the NHL on Wednesday night.

Gustav Nyquist scored a goal and an assist as Predators overwhelmed the Winnipeg Jets 4-2. Nashville has earned a point in 13 consecutive games but Winnipeg is third in the Central Division.

“That’s a hell of a team that we just beat,” Nyquist said. “I thought we played a great game for 60 minutes, honestly, all the way throughout. Pretty elite job from everyone.”

Jason Zucker, Filip Forsberg and Kiefer Sherwood also scored as the Predators (38-25-4) extended their points streak to 11 wins and two losses in extra time.

“I think we’ve learned that there’s no easy games in this league,” Nyquist said. “No matter whether you’re up against a team in the top of the standings or at the bottom.

"We’re just finding a way to focus on our game and how we want to play, and if we do that, we know we’re a tough opponent for any of the teams."

Roman Josi set up the first two goals of the game. With his second assist, Josi became just the second Predator to score 50 helpers in two different seasons.

“We knew it was a big game,” Josi said. “They’re one of the best teams in the league and I felt like we played a really good game for 60 minutes.

"I felt, in the beginning there, they had a couple of good chances. After that, we were relentless and didn’t give them much time."

Juuse Saros made 28 saves for Nashville.

“He probably deserved a shutout tonight,” Josi said. “He played unbelievable. He made some amazing saves.”

Alex Iafallo and Mason Appleton replied for the Jets (41-19-5).

Saros had stopped Iafallo on a short-handed breakaway, blocked a Sean Monahan backhand and was quick to stop an Appleton wraparound attempt before the Jets scored in the third period.

“I thought we limited the workload, but when we needed saves, he made huge saves,” said Nashville coach Andrew Brunette. “I don’t think he was that busy, but when he needed to be, he was right there.”

Connor Hellebuyck stopped 34 of 38 shots for Winnipeg before 13,331 fans at Canada Life Centre.

“It just felt like they were on us, making plays, just finding good connections and making passes across the ice like that,” Iafallo said. “Next time we play them, we’ve got to make sure that we’re crisper and taking away stuff in the middle.”

Iafallo pulled the Jets to within 4-1 when he deflected a Brenden Dillon point shot past Saros. The Predators challenged for a high stick but the goal was upheld and Nashville was charged with a delay-of-game penalty.

Appleton scored a power-play goal with 11 seconds left in the game.

“From the start, we wanted to be a hard forechecking team and we weren’t,” Iafallo said. “We weren’t getting those chances, so we need to regroup tomorrow and make sure that we have that hard working, mental aspect from the start.”

The Predators scored two goals in 22 seconds in the second minute of the third period to take a 4-0 lead and salt the game away. Forsberg converted a backhand pass from Nyquist after a strange bounce in the Jets end at the 1:29 mark. Zucker then pounced on a rebound of a Colton Sissons shot and put it past Hellebuyck at 1:51.

Nashville took a 2-0 lead in the first when Sherwood fired a wrister over Hellebuyck’s shoulder from the top of the slot on a nifty setup from Josi. The Predators drew first blood early in the first period when Josi completed a long pass to Nyquist from inside his own zone to the Winnipeg blue line. Nyquist then fired a shot over Hellebuyck’s shoulder. Saros got credited for an assist on the goal.

NOTES — Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele was a last-minute scratch due to illness. Rasmus Kupari drew in to replace him on the roster … Jets Gabe Vilardi missed his seventh straight game with an upper-body injury … Josh Morrissey has joined Toby Enstrom as the only Jets defencemen to have consecutive 40-assist seasons.

UP NEXT

Jets: Will host the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.

Predators: Will travel to Seattle to face the Kraken on Saturday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 13, 2024.