Driedger makes 21 saves, Panthers shut out Predators

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Chris Driedger made 21 saves, and Aleksander Barkov scored for the Florida Panthers in a 2-0 win against the Nashville Predators at BB&T Center on Saturday.

Florida (20-6-4) split the two-game set with Nashville (13-17-1) after losing 2-1 Thursday. The Panthers are 9-0-1 this season following a loss.
"We don't really think about it," Barkov said. "Obviously we don't want to lose two in a row, and when we lose, we usually play bad. So we know we want to play a lot better next game, and that's what we did today, and we've just got to keep going the same way."
Juuse Saros tied his NHL career high with 47 saves for the Predators. He made 40 saves on Thursday in his return after missing seven games with an upper-body injury.
"[Juuse] was fantastic," Nashville coach John Hynes said. "He kept us in the game. We just couldn't find a way to get one."

The shutout was the second for Drieger in the NHL, each against Nashville. The 26-year-old made 27 saves in a 3-0 win against the Predators in his first NHL start, Nov. 30, 2019.
Driedger made his first start since March 7 with Sergei Bobrovsky making the past five.
"We played a really, really good game throughout 60 minutes, great kills, great movement on the power play," Driedger said. "Hats off to Saros. He played a heck of a game himself. [I'm] feeling pretty good. That's a great win.
"Those games when the other goalie is putting on a show can get a little dicey. You kind of have to make sure that you're sharp. One mistake and that maybe can send it to overtime. [I] saw the pucks that came my way and it ended up working out."
Florida didn't score in the first period despite taking 22 shots and getting three power plays, including a four-minute man-advantage when Mathieu Olivier was assessed a double minor for roughing.
"It was one of those games where we looked like we're throwing everything but the kitchen sink and when we get nothing for it, but sticking with it was the best part about it from our end," Panthers coach Joel Quenneville said. "Whether it was a save or unable to score, I don't think we deviated how we were going about our game."
Barkov gave Florida a 1-0 lead at 9:15 of the second period when he took a centering pass from Anthony Duclair and lifted a backhand high into the net. It was Barkov's fifth goal in five games.
MacKenzie Weegar extended his point streak to seven games (one goal, eight assists) with an assist, tying Keith Yandle's Panthers record for defensemen set in 2018-19.

Saros stopped Barkov on a shorthanded breakaway in the third period.
"I felt like I was playing my own game," Saros said. "I was seeing the pucks well and there were some good blocks in front of me. It was a good game."
Duclair scored an empty-net goal at 19:45 for the 2-0 final.
NOTES: Florida forward Patric Hornqvist played his 800th NHL game. "It means a lot obviously, 800 games," the 34-year-old said. "You've been in the League for a long time and hopefully I've got a lot of years left in me. I still love the game." … Florida defenseman Aaron Ekblad played a game-high 29:55. … Saros first made 47 saves in a 2-1 win against the Vegas Golden Knights on Jan. 23, 2019.