Henrique plays hero for Devils

NASHVILLE -- Adam Henrique got the tying goal with 39.7 seconds left in the third period, then scored 1:54 into overtime to give the New Jersey Devils a 5-4 win against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on Thursday.
Henrique tied the game 4-4 when he knocked in the rebound of Devante Smith-Pelly's shot with goaltender Keith Kinkaid on the bench for an extra attacker. Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne was called for delay of game 1:42 into overtime, and Henrique scored his 22nd goal of the season 12 seconds later, ending a three-game losing streak for New Jersey (31-27-7).

"On both [goals], the guys made great plays there," Henrique said. "Just finding the rebound and all you can think of is that you just pray that he's not going to stick a glove out there and stop that one because it was a huge win for us."
It was the Devils' third power-play goal in as many chances; Nashville scored on each of its two opportunities with the extra man.
New Jersey, which plays at the Dallas Stars on Friday, trailed 1-0, 3-1 and 4-3 before Henrique's heroics.
"It's a huge win," Henrique said. "We certainly believe in each other here. Obviously the way things have gone as of late is tough, but we stick together in here no matter what. I think that showed tonight, and we've got to find a way to carry that over to tomorrow."

It was the 11th loss in 12 games decided in 3-on-3 overtime for the Predators (32-21-12).
Filip Forsberg had put Nashville ahead 4-3 at 17:56 of the third period. Forsberg, who had two natural hat tricks last week, took a pass from forward Craig Smith and fired a shot from the right circle that went through a screen and past Kinkaid's stick for his 27th goal.
"It's difficult to lose a game like that when you've got the lead late," Predators coach Peter Laviolette said. "It was a big goal at the time. I thought the third period was really clean for us. We were able to score and jump up like that with just a few minutes left in the game.
"That's a tough way to lose the game, to have them score late with the extra attacker and then the power play in overtime."
The Predators did set a franchise record by getting a point in their 11th consecutive game (7-0-4).

Smith gave the Predators a 1-0 lead at 8:48 of the first period, beating Kinkaid from the left circle on the power play. Defenseman Shea Weber made a cross-ice pass that Smith one-timed past Kinkaid for his 16th goal of the season.
New Jersey's Kyle Palmieri tied the game 1-1 at 16:00, also on the power play. Rinne stopped Jacob Josefson's shot, but the rebound came to Palmieri at the bottom of the left circle, and he snapped it past Rinne for his 24th goal.
Mike Ribeiro gave the Predators a 2-1 lead at 17:13 on a power-play redirection. Defenseman Roman Josi took a straightaway slap shot from just inside the blue line, and Ribeiro tipped it past Kinkaid for his seventh goal.

Fourth-line center Paul Gaustad gave the Predators a 3-1 lead at 2:39 of the second period. A pass from forward Austin Watson sent Gaustad in alone, and he beat Kinkaid with a backhand deke for his second goal.
Smith-Pelly made it 3-2 at 7:23 of the second period. Rinne stopped defenseman Jon Merrill's shot, but the puck stopped in the crease and Smith-Pelly was able to nudge it over the goal line. It was his seventh goal of the season and came in his first game with the Devils after being acquired from the Montreal Canadiens on Monday.
"Couldn't have drew it up any better," Smith-Pelly said. "First and foremost, coming back like that and getting the win; but for me to be able to contribute offensively is a step in the right direction."
New Jersey's Travis Zajac tied the game 3-3 at 9:13 of the third period with a power-play goal. Zajac took a feed from defenseman David Schlemko and beat Rinne on the stick side for his 10th goal.
Predators forward Mike Fisher became the 301st player in NHL history to play in his 1,000th game.
Nashville begins a four-game road trip against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday.