Forsberg’s goal, assist help Predators defeat Blues to stop skid

NASHVILLE -- Filip Forsberg had a goal and an assist, and the Nashville Predators got their first win in four games, 5-2 against the St. Louis Blues at Bridgestone Arena on Saturday.

“The third period we got to our game, started playing more simple with the puck,” Forsberg said. “First two periods, a lot of turnovers and a team like that’s going to get what they want, free offense, but third period was really solid.”

Jonathan Marchessault converted a penalty shot, Adam Edstrom scored short-handed, and Steven Stamkos, Roman Josi and Adam Wilsby each had two assists for the Predators (3-2-3), who ended a three-game skid (0-1-2) and went 1-1-1 on a three-game homestand. Juuse Saros made 24 saves.

The Predators scored twice in the first 8:14 of the third to pull away after entering the period ahead by one. 

“We liked the result,” Nashville coach Andrew Brunette said. “The process early on wasn’t towards the game plan. We knew they were going to be a little bit desperate there. They’re the fastest starting team in the League in the first period. I just didn’t think we got to our game the correct way. … I really liked our third period. That’s what good teams do in the third period even though the first two weren’t great. It speaks to the leadership that they’re able to grab it. We got some big penalty kills, ‘Juice’ made some big saves and (we) got some timely goals in the third.

“It’s a big win for us. I just think the end of this little homestand and then heading onto the road in a real tough stretch of the season here, we’ve got a few days to breathe a little bit and get back to work.”

Philip Broberg scored his first goal of the season, and Jimmy Snuggerud added a power-play goal for the Blues (3-4-1), who lost the last two of a three-game road trip. Jordan Binnington made 19 saves.

“I honestly thought we had a really good first and second,” Snuggerud said. “I thought we were the better hockey team and everyone in this room thought the same. Our third period obviously needs to be better and our execution level just needs to be better because we were in that game and the puck wasn’t going in. It turned on us quick.”

St. Louis coach Jim Montgomery said, “I thought we had a really good start and then unfortunately, we got into some penalty trouble there. We’re down, but then we had a good five-minute push there. So we felt good going into the second. The third period’s the period that cost us.”

Broberg gave St. Louis a 1-0 lead at 6:21 of the first period. After a Nashville turnover along the right wall, he took a pass from Mason McTavish, drove down the slot and scored high glove side.

“He made a great play and I got some open space,” Broberg said of McTavish. “Nice to see it go in.”

Marchessault was awarded a penalty shot while Nashville was on the power play when Binnington was called for throwing his stick, and he tied it 1-1 on a wrist shot through the pads at 8:40.

“‘Fil’ made a good play to me there at the net,” Marchessault said. “I knew he (Binnington) was not allowed to do that, so I didn’t know it was going to be a penalty shot. I thought it was going to be a 5-on-3, but I’m happy about it and for it to be me to go. I was happy about that.”

Forsberg then gave the Predators a 2-1 lead at 12:22. He gathered a loose puck following a backhand miss by Stamkos and scored with a wraparound at the left post, eluding Binnington’s right skate.

“It was great obviously,” Forsberg said of his first goal of the season. “There’s been some chances, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my time here, it comes and it goes. Obviously it was a big goal at the time. … It’s going to go in at some point.”

Edstrom’s short-handed goal at 7:05 of the second period off a Josi feed in front made it 3-1, but 31 seconds later Snuggerud cut it to 3-2 at 7:36. He scored at the side of the net off a backdoor pass from Jake Neighbours.

“Shorty goals from the other team aren’t really nice,” Snuggerud said. “It can bring a bench down, but I thought we turned it around quickly. That was a big goal in a big part of the game. It was a good play by ‘Jakey.’”

Ryan O'Reilly pushed it to 4-2 at 2:50 of the third period, following his own rebound to slip a shot inside the left post.

Jack Drury extended the lead to 5-2 at 8:14 with his first goal for Nashville when a Josi pass from the left side deflected off his skate at the back post.

It was Drury’s eighth game with the Predators after he was traded from the Colorado Avalanche on June 24.

“We just didn’t have the patience necessary to play the right way,” Montgomery said. “Unfortunately we gave up odd-man rushes and we had some bad decisions. Not with the puck but actually without the puck that led to odd-man rushes against. We need to be smarter and more mature that way.”

NOTES: Forsberg has 54 points (27 goals, 27 assists) in 47 games against the Blues and has eight points (six goals, two assists) in the past five games against them. … Stamkos has 32 points (14 goals, 18 assists) in 29 games against St. Louis. … Blues defenseman Brandon Carlo played his 700th NHL game. He was minus-1 in 12:29 of ice time … McTavish’s assist gave him eight points (four goals, four assists) in a six-game point streak. … St. Louis forward Pavel Buchnevich played 18:32 and had one shot on goal in his return after missing a 5-4 loss at the Minnesota Wild on Thursday due to the birth of his child.