Predators defeat Avalanche in OT in back-and-forth game

NASHVILLE --Matt Duchene scored his second power-play goal at 3:01 of overtime to give the Nashville Predators a 5-4 win against the Colorado Avalanche at Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday.

Duchene won it with a quick shot from the top of the right circle after Roman Josi's one-timer was blocked by J.T. Compher.
"It was probably the top two teams right now in the [Central Division] going at it," Duchene said. "We knew this would be a really good kind of measuring stick and statement game for us to show that we were for real. … We knew they were going to push, and I think we were able to outlast them."

Luke Kunin also scored twice, Josi had three assists, and Juuse Saros made 40 saves for the Predators (24-11-2), who have won five straight and are 12-1-1 in their past 14.
Cale Makar had a goal and two assists, Nazem Kadri had two assists, and Darcy Kuemper made 27 saves for the Avalanche (22-8-3), who had won five in a row and are 10-1-1 in their past 12 (both losses at Nashville).
"Obviously, we didn't get the one point that we wanted, but at the end of the day, we still battled back again," Makar said. "It's not an ideal scenario for us having to come from behind every single night (trailed in each of the past seven games), but we're confident in the abilities that we have as a team."

Tanner Jeannot gave Nashville a 1-0 lead at 2:32 of the first period, collecting the rebound of Matt Luff's initial shot in the slot and scoring off the left post. Jeannot leads NHL rookies with 12 goals this season.
Kunin extended the lead to 2-0 at 19:04, shooting under Kuemper's left pad after Josi held in the puck along the left boards and spun away from Nicolas Aube-Kubel.
"We knew coming in it was going to be a hard-fought battle on both sides," Predators coach John Hynes said. "I really liked our mindset to be able to start the game, and the preparation and the competitive mindset we had coming into the game."

Aube-Kubel then cut it to 2-1 at 8:15 of the second period on a rebound. He has scored three of his five goals this season in the past two games.
Andre Burakovsky tied it 2-2 at 11:48 when he beat Saros through a screen with a wrist shot from the high slot. His goal came shortly after he had a one-timer blocked by Predators defenseman Mark Borowiecki, who had to be helped to the locker room and did not return.
Kunin put the Predators back in front 3-2 at 17:25 with a redirection of Nick Cousins' centering pass.
Nathan MacKinnon tied it 3-3 at 5:21 of the third period, scoring with a one-timer from the top of the left circle on the power play. Kadri, who had the secondary assist on the play, has scored 23 points (six goals, 17 assists) during a personal 13-game point streak.
Duchene made it 4-3 at 10:00 with his first power-play goal of the night, but Makar tied it 4-4 at 13:19 with a wrist shot glove side from the left circle.
"We have a high standard of what we're trying to accomplish," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. "We don't like leaving points on the table. That could turn out to be a valuable point, and tonight we didn't get it."
NOTES: Kadri leads the NHL with 35 assists this season. Makar leads NHL defensemen with 16 goals. … Colorado announced prior to the game that defenseman Bowen Byram left the team for personal reasons. … Hynes said "hopefully [Borowiecki's] going to be OK, which I think he will be."