Predators recover, defeat Coyotes in seven-round shootout

NASHVILLE -- Roman Josi and Mikael Granlund each had a goal and an assist in the Nashville Predators' 4-3 shootout win against the Arizona Coyotes at Bridgestone Arena on Monday.

Juuse Saros made 24 saves for the Predators (9-8-2), who are 4-0-1 in their past five games.
"Our game's ascending here," Nashville forward Matt Duchene said. "It's getting better. We've had to shake some things up here and there with line combos, [defensive] combos, power play ... but I think it's a step in the right direction. We've just got to keep building. You can't get comfortable about what we're doing. We've just got to stay hungry and keep growing."
Nick Bjugstad had two goals and an assist for the Coyotes (6-9-2), who lost their fourth straight game. Connor Ingram, who started his NHL career with three games for the Predators in 2021-22, made 42 saves.

Bjugstad tied it 3-3 at 13:16 of the third period, scoring a short-handed goal to cap a 2-on-1 rush following a Nashville turnover.
"I think we proved we can be hard to play against when we play to our identity and we're all on the same page," Bjugstad said. "That's important. I think we've got a good group here. We continue to make strides each and every day. It's more fun when you're in games and most importantly, winning them."
Cody Glass scored the game-winning shootout goal in the seventh round. His wrist shot glanced off the right arm of Ingram and trickled over the line.
"[Coach John Hynes] tapped me on the butt to get out there, so obviously it was a little bit of nerves," Glass said. "But I'm a confident player and obviously I've played with [Ingram] for the past year, so I kind of knew what I was going to do and got fortunate enough to kind the change of pace on it and obviously it went in net."
Trailing 2-1 entering the third period, the Predators scored twice in 28 seconds.

Josi tied it 2-2 at 1:03 of the third period on a low slap shot from just inside the blue line past Ingram's glove.
Duchene made it 3-2 at 1:31, taking a drop pass from Colton Sissons and flipping a point-blank shot over Ingram's shoulder.
"The guys were disappointed in the way they ended the second period, especially the second half," Hynes said. "Credit to them. I think they came out with some good energy and played the way we wanted to be able to play, what our objectives were.
"A lot of times that's what has to happen. It has to come from within the group. It's got to come from within the locker room to manufacture the energy, to push each other and hold each other accountable and then come out with some fire and play the right way."

Granlund gave the Predators a 1-0 lead at 7:04 of the first period, scoring on Nashville's third power play of the game. Ingram made an initial save on Filip Forsberg's slap shot from the left circle, but Granlund scored on the rebound.
Lawson Crouse tied it 1-1 at 8:49 of the second period. Bjugstad fed him on the rush, and he scored on a wrist shot high to Saros' glove side.
Bjugstad gave the Coyotes a 2-1 lead at 15:56 when he banked in a rebound off Saros from behind the goal line.
"He played really good," Coyotes coach Andre Tourigny said of Bjugstad. "Him and [Crouse] played really solid, (also Christian Fischer, Jack McBain and Liam O'Brien). I think our physical and hard-working guys were our best players."
NOTES: Arizona defenseman Jakob Chychrun made his season debut. He had two shots and four hits in 23:04 of ice time. Chychrun had not played since March 12, when he injured his ankle in a loss to the Boston Bruins. He also had wrist surgery during the offseason. … Arizona defenseman Josh Brown left the game after he sustained an upper-body injury in the second period. Tourigny said he was day to day. … Coyotes forward Nick Schmaltz played for the first time since their season opener Oct 13. He had five shots and one hit in 18:56. Schmaltz missed 15 games with an upper-body injury. … Josi has 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in his past seven games against Arizona. He has 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) in his past 12 games. … Predators general manager David Poile won his 1,500th NHL game.