Bunting gets 3 points in 1st, Predators hold off Flames to end skid at 3

NASHVILLE -- Michael Bunting had a goal and two assists in the first period, and the Nashville Predators held off the Calgary Flames for a 4-2 victory at Bridgestone Arena on Saturday.

Matthew Wood had a goal and an assist for his first multipoint game in the NHL, and Jonathan Marchessault also scored for the Predators (5-6-2), who ended a three-game skid. Juuse Saros made 33 saves.

“I thought we brought some speed and kind of played on top of them and didn’t give them much in the first period,” Bunting said. “That was good. Obviously in the third period they got a couple there and we don’t want that to happen, but we were able to grind through that and get the win here.”

Jonathan Huberdeau and Joel Farabee scored for the Flames (2-9-2), who have one win in their past 12 games (1-9-2). Dustin Wolf allowed three goals on 11 shots in the first period before being replaced by Devin Cooley, who stopped all 12 shots he faced over the final two periods.

“For most of the game we were the better team out there,” Huberdeau said. “We had a lot of chances. Again, we can’t be down 3-0 right away. I still thought we were going to come back, but I mean, three goals is a lot. We have to be more ready at the get-go. It’s not fun losing.”

Bunting gave Nashville a 1-0 lead at 10:29 of the first period on a redirection of a shot from the right circle by Spencer Stastney.

Wood scored 49 seconds later to extend it to 2-0 on a wrist shot from the right circle off a pass from Bunting.

The 20-year-old forward, who scored in his second straight game, was selected in the first round (No. 15) of the 2023 NHL Draft.

“I think I’m definitely more confident,” said Wood, who was playing in his 12th career game. “It was a big accomplishment and I’m really grateful that I had that opportunity to try to achieve that lifelong dream that every kid that plays hockey has.”

Marchessault pushed it to 3-0 with a power-play goal at 14:17. He took a pass from Bunting on a 3-on-2 rush and beat Wolf on the forehand in front of the net.

“I thought our first period was good,” Bunting said. “We just played fast. I liked what our line did, we just kind of hounded them and were able to turn a couple of pucks over and we were fortunate to get rewarded there.”

Huberdeau cut it to 3-1 at 4:39 of the third period on a rebound of a shot by Jake Bean.

“If you look at it, they scored two goals on one shift and then they get the power-play goal,” Calgary defenseman Rasmus Andersson said. “Obviously it’s frustrating with our record. The effort is there, but the execution just isn’t.”

Farabee made it 3-2 at 11:57 with a one-timer from the right circle on a feed from Nazem Kadri.

“At times during games, we get in our own way,” Flames coach Ryan Huska said. “That’s the hard part right now. We have to move past things like that. Whether it’s a turnover or trying for an opportunity that isn’t there at a certain time, it’s come back at times to hurt us. And I think we get in our own way in those situations.”

Filip Forsberg scored an empty-net goal at 19:36 for the 4-2 final.

“I liked how we closed the last five or six, seven or eight minutes of the game,” Predators coach Andrew Brunette said. “I thought we closed it the right way. So it was good for us to go through it because we haven’t really had a three-goal lead very often here.”

NOTES: Wood became the first Predators player since Philip Tomasino (two points in the second period on March 13, 2022) to record a multipoint period at age 20 or younger. … Saros has started 11 of Nashville’s first 13 games. … Nashville defenseman Roman Josi missed his fifth consecutive game because of an upper-body injury. … Predators forward Cole Smith left the game in the first period because of an upper-body injury and did not return. There was no update.