Predators, Saros defeat Blue Jackets in season opener

NASHVILLE -- Juuse Saros made 29 saves, and Filip Forsberg scored for the Nashville Predators in a 3-1 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Bridgestone Arena on Thursday in the season opener for each team.

Luke Kunin scored in his debut with the Predators. Calle Jarnkrok also scored for Nashville.
"I thought we got better and better," Forsberg said. "We came out ready to play, but obviously they're a good team on that side too. They're working hard and creating some chances, but I thought we defended well throughout the game, especially in the first and second (periods) when we had to more. Toward the third period, I thought our offense really kicked in and we got a couple of longer shifts [in the offensive zone] and played our best hockey in the third. That's something that we want to continue doing throughout the season. I thought it was a good start."
Boone Jenner scored, and Joonas Korpisalo made 32 saves for Columbus.
"I still think we played in spurts in the first two [periods]," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "I thought both teams played in spurts. The momentum kind of changed through the first two periods. In the third period, we just didn't generate enough forecheck. They made a lot of plays through us. We couldn't get many pucks to the net. We didn't have a scoring chance in the third period, and I think they had five or six. We'll look at the tape. We're playing this team next game (here on Saturday). We've got to get a more consistent effort from more than three or four people offensively. There are some important guys on our team that just weren't there offensively tonight, and hopefully we'll get that in the second game."

Forsberg gave the Predators a 2-1 lead at 5:48 of the third period on a wrist shot from the left circle. He led a 2-on-1 and beat Korpisalo. Brad Richardson, who signed a one-year contract with the Predators on Oct. 12, got the assist.
"If you look at the way he scored it, it was off of a [defensive] zone face-off," Nashville coach John Hynes said. "He fights through a pick, he gets out to his point, he winds up getting the puck and then he kind of powers past the defenseman. And now he's in a situation where his skill can come out on an odd-man rush. You give him time and space, it's a good thing for him."
Jenner gave the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead at 9:24 of the first period on a breakaway. Predators defenseman Dante Fabbro turned over the puck to Jenner at the blue line.
"It seemed like we did a lot of chasing," Columbus forward Cam Atkinson said. "It seemed like we had a couple of shifts where we got momentum and then they went on the power play and they started taking over there. It was tough to really generate anything."
Kunin scored to make it 1-1 at 13:09 of the second period on an odd-man rush with Matt Duchene. Kunin was traded to the Predators from the Minnesota Wild on Oct. 7. Erik Haula, who signed a one-year contract with the Predators on Dec. 23, and Mark Borowiecki, who signed a one-year contract on Oct.. 9, each had an assist on the goal.

Jarnkrok scored an empty-net goal at 18:27 of the third to give the Predators a 3-1 lead.
NOTES: Center Max Domi, traded to Columbus from the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 7, had one shot on goal in 12:57 of ice time in his Blue Jackets debut. … Forward Mikhail Grigorenko had three shots on goal in 18:28 for Columbus in his return to the NHL after three seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League. … Defenseman Michael Del Zotto had four shots on goal and two blocked shots in 12:51 in his Blue Jackets debut after signing as a free agent. … Borowiecki had the assist, three blocked shots and was plus-2 in 15:05. ... Defensman Matt Benning, who signed as a free agent, had two blocked shots and was plus-2 in 15:34. … Forward Nick Cousins had three shots on goal in 16:51 in his Predators debut after signing as a free agent. … Forward Cole Smith had one shot on goal in 5:57 in his NHL debut for Nashville.