Mattias Ekholm scores twice, Predators beat Oilers for back-to-back wins

EDMONTON - Mattias Ekholm had a pair of goals as the Nashville Predators made it two wins in a row with a 4-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.

Mike Fisher and Filip Forsberg also scored for the Predators (22-18-8), who had lost six of their last seven before their latest wins.

Leon Draisaitl replied for the Oilers (19-26-5), who have lost three in a row heading into a nine-day break.

Edmonton got on the board first with a goal 12 minutes into the first as Draisaitl made a great individual effort to cut back on defender Shea Weber and send a backhand shot past Predators goalie Pekka Rinne.

Nashville got that goal right back, however, as Ekholm was finally able to chip a puck past Oilers starter Cam Talbot after a scramble in front.

The Predators took a 2-1 lead on the power play 1:48 into the second with a highly unusual goal. An Ekholm shot hit defender Andrej Sekera and ended up in Talbot's equipment and was lost from view for a few seconds without the play being blown down before falling out and ending up in the net as Talbot was backing up looking for the puck.

Nashville took a two-goal lead 52 seconds into the third when Weber made a bullet pass from the corner to give Fisher a tap-in goal.

Forsberg added an empty-netter to seal the victory.

Rinne made 23 saves for the win as Talbot kicked out 21-of-24 shots in defeat.

The Predators travel to Vancouver to face the Canucks on Tuesday, while the Oilers return to action on Feb. 2 against Columbus.

Notes: It was the second of three games between the two teams this season, with the Preds winning the first match 2-0 on Oct. 10 in Nashville… Out for the Oilers were Connor McDavid (clavicle) Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (hand), Oscar Klefbom (lower body), Brandon Davidson (undisclosed) and Andrew Ference (hip)… Griffin Reinhart was called up from Bakersfield of the AHL to fill Davidson's spot on the Oilers defence… Injured for the Predators were Colin Wilson (lower body) and Gabriel Bourque (upper body)… Rinne made his 40th start of the season for Nashville.