The Nashville Predators closed the second period with three straight goals to break open a one-goal game and went on to post a 6-3 win over the visiting Boston Bruins on Thursday night.
Filip Forsberg had a goal and two assists while Matthew Wood scored twice in Nashville’s four-goal middle frame to lead the Predators, who have made several deals this week in advance of Friday’s NHL trade deadline and also played without alternate captain Ryan O’Reilly (upper-body injury).
Nicolas Hague, Erik Haula and Luke Evangelista also scored, Steven Stamkos had two assists, and Juuse Saros made 20 saves to help Nashville break a recent three-game skid (0-2-1).
Charlie McAvoy and Viktor Arvidsson each notched a goal and an assist, Morgan Geekie also scored, and Pavel Zacha had two helpers for Boston, which is 6-2-3 in its last 11 games but has a six-game road losing streak (0-3-3).
Bruins goalie Joonas Korpisalo stopped 23 shots, including 13 in a busy middle frame.
Nashville broke the deadlock at 13:53 of the first period, as Hague teed up Ozzy Wiesblatt’s drop pass at the end of a transition and slipped the shot from the left circle.
Saros helped the Predators carry their lead into intermission, making a flashing glove save on Elias Lindholm, who moved around his defender for a close-range shot. David Pastrnak drove wide and drew a penalty before setting up the play.
With Boston on the following man advantage 1:24 into the middle frame, Nick Perbix intercepted an attempted Pastrnak pass and broke in ahead to set up Wood for a short-handed snipe.
Geekie needed just four seconds of another Bruins power play to make it 2-1 at the 3:30 mark of the second. After Lindholm won a faceoff back to McAvoy, Geekie wired a one-timer from the top of the left dot for his career-high 34th goal.
The hosts upped their lead back to two at 10:18. Haula got the ultimate deflection of Brady Skjei’s point shot.
After Boston’s Sean Kuraly’s response was waved off due to goaltender interference, Forsberg cashed in late on the ensuing power play for a 4-1 Nashville edge. The goal came on a wrister from the high slot at 12:37.
The Predators led 5-1 at the second intermission. Wood netted his second by deflecting a Roman Josi point shot at 14:44.
McAvoy brought the Bruins a goal closer with 13:55 left in regulation, slotting home Arvidsson’s feed from behind the end line to the top of the circle.
Boston continued pressing in the third and cut the deficit to 5-3 as Arvidsson blasted a one-timer off Casey Mittelstadt’s feed with 4:28 to go, but Evangelista hit an empty net 2:01 later.
