Lightning break tie in 3rd, Predators fail to pad wild-card lead

TAMPA -- Jake Guentzel had a goal and two assists for the Tampa Bay Lightning in a 3-2 win against the Nashville Predators at Benchmark International Arena on Sunday.

Brandon Hagel and Corey Perry also scored, and Jonas Johansson made 29 saves for the Lightning (46-21-6), who were coming off a 4-2 win against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday and are 6-0-2 in their past eight games.

Tampa Bay moved into a tie in points (98) for first place in the Atlantic Division with the Buffalo Sabres, who have played one more game.

"This group, they just have that innate ability to right the ship," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "Most nights they don't need me, some nights they do. I just think fatigue is playing a major part in this whole thing."

Filip Forsberg had a goal and an assist, and Justus Annunen made 25 saves for the Predators (34-31-9), who have lost three straight, including 4-1 against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.

Nashville remained one point ahead of the Los Angeles Kings and two points ahead of the Seattle Kraken for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. Los Angeles has one game in hand and Seattle has two.

"We have to win, and it's going to be tough going on the road in some buildings with teams that you're fighting against," Predators forward Steven Stamkos said. "We're still in the mix, and that's where you want to be at this time of the year. We're going to have to find a way to get some wins and get some points. It's got to come together pretty quick."

After a scoreless first period, Joakim Kemell scored his first NHL goal to give Nashville a 1-0 lead at 8:31 of the second. Kemell was pushed from behind by Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak while skating in on a partial breakaway, resulting in both him and the puck going into the net.

The call was confirmed after a review.

"I was just so happy for him," Predators forward Zachary L'Heureux said. "He's a shooter, and he scores one off his skate while getting hooked. Really proud of him and it was a big goal at the time for us, too."

Guentzel tied it at 1-1 at 13:32 after Darren Raddysh sent a shot to the net that Gage Goncalves tried to redirect. The puck instead ended up on Guentzel's stick in the low slot, where he shot it past Annunen.

"For some reason we haven't started on time for the last four or five (games)," Guentzel said. "But the push back and the belief in the group ... we believe we're never out of it, and that's a good trait to have."

Hagel gave Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead at 4:33 of the third period, taking a backhand pass from Guentzel and snapping a shot from the slot to the far post.

"We played a good team tonight, so it was a tight game," Johansson said. "Both teams had their chances, but we managed to get some real pressure there in the third and got some pucks in. We're just happy with the two points."

Forsberg quickly responded to tie it 2-2 at 4:53. Fedor Svechkov sent the puck to the net from just inside the blue line, where it first deflected off Forsberg and then off the skate of Charle-Edouard D'Astous before getting past Johansson.

"Pretty sloppy game it looked like from both sides," Stamkos said. "We just didn't take it (the win). It was there for the taking and we didn't take it."

Perry put the Lightning ahead 3-2 at 6:52. Emil Lilleberg tried to get the puck to Guentzel for a redirection, but the puck got through Annunen's pads and Perry stuffed it over the line from the doorstep.

"We didn't have the best first period, for sure. One shot on net, maybe two," Perry said of the Lightning, who were outshot 10-1 in the first period. "But we found a way and this group never gives up."

NOTES: Guentzel has scored in four straight games. He has eight points (four goals, four assists) in that stretch. ... Forsberg has 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in his past eight games. ... Hagel has six points (three goals, three assists) during a four-game point streak.