Boyle scores first goal for Predators in win against Canadiens

NASHVILLE -- Brian Boyle scored his first goal for the Nashville Predators to break a tie in the third period of a 3-1 win against the Montreal Canadiens at Bridgestone Arena on Thursday.

Pekka Rinne made 34 saves for the Predators (34-21-5), who ended a three-game losing streak.
"Obviously, this time of the year and just looking at the standings and everything around it, I think it's obviously a very big win," Rinne said. "Especially after losing the last three."
WATCH: [All Canadiens vs. Predators highlights]
Tomas Tatar scored for Montreal (31-19-7), which had not played since a 4-3 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. Carey Price made 35 saves.
"We were definitely rusty in the first," Canadiens captain Shea Weber said. "They were all over us. This is a building where they always come out in the first period as it is, and to come out of there 0-0, actually, we were satisfied, especially the way we played. We didn't play very well. I thought we had a lot better second. The score didn't indicate that, but came out in the third and it just kind of got away from us at the end."

Boyle gave Nashville a 2-1 lead at 8:36 of the third period when he scored with a slap shot from the point off a drop pass from P.K. Subban.
"Less thinking, more reacting just to the system and just what guys' tendencies are and what they're going to do," said Boyle, who played his fifth game with the Predators since being acquired in a trade from the New Jersey Devils on Feb. 6. "I didn't know much about a bunch of the forwards here but learned pretty quick that they're pretty much all fast. They all compete. So it's good to be in the mix with them."
Viktor Arvidsson made it 3-1 at 11:00. Ryan Johansen made a pass across the crease, and the puck went in off Arvidsson for his Predators-leading 26th goal.
"I put my stick down," Arvidsson said. "I know it hit the leg, but I just try to be there. I know [Johansen] is a passer and I know it's coming, so I've just got to do everything to put it in. Luckily it went in."
Tatar scored off a give-and-go with Andrew Shaw to tie the game 1-1 at 5:26 of the third.
Ryan Hartman gave the Predators a 1-0 lead at 9:49 of the second period when he scored to end a 27-game goal drought dating to Dec. 13. Craig Smith received a pass from Hartman and took a slap shot from the right face-off circle, and Hartman batted the rebound out of midair for his 10th goal.
"That one felt [darn] good," Hartman said. "That was a long time, the longest streak I've ever had at any level, so it was a good feeling."
Subban and Weber played against each other in Nashville for the first time since the defensemen were traded for each other June 29, 2016. Weber played his 900th NHL game.

They said it

"In the second period, we seemed to get our legs going. We seemed to find our game, but we didn't capitalize on our chances. We had lots of them, and that's what probably hurt us in the end, is that we weren't able to score in that second period."-- Canadiens coach Claude Julien
"I want to score every game. When you get opportunities and chances in the game, and then opportunities in terms of power-play time and offensive-zone shifts, you want to contribute, you have to contribute, especially now at this time of year. So it's a really good feeling. It's great to do it at home too." -- Predators forward Brian Boyle on scoring his first goal since being acquired in a trade from the Devils

Need to know

The Canadiens lost in regulation for the first time in seven games (4-1-2). ... Tatar had a season-high seven shots on goal. ... Johansen extended his point streak to six games (two goals, seven assists). ... Predators defenseman Mattias Ekholm missed the game because of illness.

What's next

Canadiens: At the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; NHLN, CITY, SNE, TVAS, SUN, NHL.TV)
Predators: At the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday (10 p.m. ET; ESPN+, ATTSN-RM, FS-TN, NHL.TV)