Predators bounce back to defeat Flyers

NASHVILLE-- Filip Forsberg scored a power-play goal with 35.6 seconds remaining to give the Nashville Predators a 6-5 win against the Philadelphia Flyers at Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday.

Forsberg beat goaltender Brian Elliott for his second goal of the game and third of the season.
The Predators (1-2-0) blew a 3-0 lead in their home opener but came back from down 5-3 to get their first win.
"We've obviously got a lot of guys that can score those, but I'm definitely one of them that want to be there, that wants to make an impact not just in the end of the game but in that kind of a moment," Forsberg said.
WATCH: [All Flyers vs. Predators highlights]
Scott Hartnell scored on the rebound of a Forsberg shot to tie the game 5-5 at 18:43 of the third period with goalie Pekka Rinne pulled for an extra attacker and Nashville on a 5-on-3 power play, giving the Predators a 6-on-3 skating advantage.
"It was an up-and-down game," said Hartnell, who had two goals. "The decisions with the puck were not smart most of the game. When we did get pucks deep and did get on the forecheck on their [defense], we turned pucks over. We were cycling and getting chances. When we didn't get pucks deep, it was right back in our throats."

The Flyers were called for delay of game after coach Dave Hakstol's unsuccessful challenge for offside on Hartnell's tying goal, giving the Predators another 5-on-3 power play. Forsberg scored the winner five seconds after Flyers defenseman Andrew MacDonald's tripping penalty expired.
"I was on the end of the bench there, so I really didn't know," Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere said of the challenge. "I really didn't have an angle either. You've just got to trust in your guys, and unfortunately it didn't go our way."
Travis Konecny gave the Flyers a 4-3 lead at 5:03 of the third period when he beat Rinne to the glove side on a breakaway. Valtteri Filppula put the Flyers ahead 5-3 at 6:48 of the third with his second power-play goal of the night, but Forsberg scored at 7:38 to make it 5-4.

MacDonald started the Flyers' rally when he scored at 10:19 of the second period with a one-timer from the point to make it 3-1. Rookie center Nolan Patrick scored 16 seconds later to get Philadelphia to within 3-2. It was the first NHL goal for the No. 2 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft.
Filppula tied it 3-3 at 15:05 of the second period, 27 seconds after Nashville was called for too many men on the ice. Jakub Voracek took the initial shot from the point, and Filppula beat Rinne on the rebound for his first goal.
Craig Smith gave the Predators a 1-0 lead at 4:17 of the first period with a power-play goal. Hartnell (3:08) and Nick Bonino (5:11) scored in the second period to give Nashville a 3-0 lead.

Predators defenseman Roman Josi and forward Colton Sissons each missed the game with a lower-body injury and is day to day.
Defenseman Samuel Girard made his NHL debut in place of Josi and earned his first NHL point with an assist on Forsberg's first goal.
Rinne and Elliott each made 25 saves.

Goal of the game

Forsberg scored his first goal of the game when he corralled a backhand chip pass from Ryan Johansen and lifted the puck past Elliott.

Save of the game

Rinne got his right pad on Gostisbehere's shot from the point at 1:06 of the third period after it deflected off Predators forward Viktor Arvidsson's stick and changed direction.

Highlight of the game

Forsberg collected a pass from P.K. Subban below the left circle, turned toward the net and shot the puck over Elliott's glove and under the crossbar to win it for Nashville.

They said it

"Honestly, it feels like we won. It's just weird right now. I don't think that's ever happened to me in my life, that type of game like that. But it says a lot about our group how we did come back, going down 3-0 in a building like this and coming back to 5-3. Just an unfortunate series of events there." -- Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere
"I'm confused like everybody else probably is. We started off really good. We started off great, playing well. I think Philadelphia fought back after that. I think we took six penalties in a row after that. It's not that the 5-on-5 play was horrible. It was just broken up between so many penalty kills and couple of them they cashed in on, so the score goes in a different direction. The bottom line is I thought after the first 12 minutes until the 40-minute mark, we weren't very good. We needed to be better."-- Predators coach Peter Laviolette

Need to know

The Flyers went 2-2-0 on their season-opening four-game road trip, which is tied for their longest of 2017-18. ... Johansen won 18 of 23 face-offs (78.3 percent).

What's next

Flyers: Host the Washington Capitals on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSP, NBCSWA, NHL.TV)
Predators: Host the Dallas Stars on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; FS-TN, FS-SW, NHL.TV)