Predators Earn Back-to-Back Shutouts, Establish 17-Game Point Streak in 1-0 Win Over Red Wings

The longest point streak of the 2023-24 NHL campaign belongs to the Nashville Predators. 

Filip Forsberg scored the only goal of the game late in the third period and Juuse Saros earned Nashville their second straight shutout as the Predators defeated the Detroit Red Wings, 1-0, at Bridgestone Arena on Saturday.

The result stretched Nashville’s franchise-record point streak to 17 games (15-0-2), their winning streak to five games and their home record to 20-15-1.

“I think we just kind of take over as we go,” Forsberg said. “Obviously this one was two periods that weren’t necessarily the greatest, but we know what we can do. We know what we worked hard for in training camp, and everything that's been hard I do want to give some credit to, [because] we're in very good shape. We all come out ready to go in the third and obviously that was by far our best period of the night and we ended up winning.”

“I give credit to Detroit, they played hard, they were fast and they were in our face a little bit,” Predators Head Coach Andrew Brunette said. “I think we've been on a stretch for a long time where we've given everything we've had, and I think we ran out a little bit of gas both physically and probably as much emotionally over the stretch. We have to be mindful of rest and recovery, and we can’t expect us to be great every night. But for me, the proudest [I’ve been] of the group during the stretch is that we're able to find it in the third period, get to our identity and everybody was pulling. That's just growth at the end of the game, we're giving our bodies up, everybody is diving for pucks. We weren't going to let one in. I think it was a feeling from the bench that [the puck] wasn't going to go in tonight because we were willing it. And so it was a testament to our whole team tonight.”

QUICK HITS

Feisty Fil

With 55 minutes elapsed without a goal, No. 9 proved the hero on Saturday evening. 

Collecting the puck down low and lifting it over Detroit netminder Alex Lyon, Forsberg gave the Predators the only goal they’d need to reach their League-best point streak.

“I've learned a lot from playing with [Ryan O’Reilly] and [Gustav Nyquist], and try to do a lot of the things they do so well and try to add that to my game too,” Forsberg said. “And I think that's been improving all year and I'm fortunate enough to play with those guys on the offensive side as well.”

Of course, the game-winner wouldn’t be Forsberg’s only contribution against Nashville’s oldest rival. 

Dropping the gloves against Detroit defenseman Moritz Seider, Forsberg recorded the third fighting major of his career and his first since Feb. 15, 2020.

“You’ve got to appreciate the emotion he has and the care he has in our group,” Brunette said. “He’s willing to do anything for our team and he hung in there and he got the last laugh with a big goal for us.”

Forsberg’s goal additionally extended the forward’s point streak to six games (6g-5a) and earned him his 10th game-winning goal of the season, a career best.

Back-to-Back Shutouts

For the first time in four years, the Predators kept their opponents off the board in back-to-back contests.

Saros’ 22-save performance - his third shutout of the season and the 23rd of his career - was key, as was the effort from an injury-plagued Predators defensive group, who went 3-for-3 on the penalty kill and recorded 13 blocked shots against a desperate Red Wings group.

“We're playing tight,” Predators defenseman Tyson Barrie said. “Our forwards are tracking back super hard, our D allows us to have good gaps and good sticks, and then our willingness to block shots and get in lanes. But then obviously, the backbone of our team is two unbelievable goaltenders, who have shown kind of what they're all about the last two games. And it's not surprising for us to see back-to-back shutouts from these two guys.”

“They grinded it out,” Brunette said. “Everybody's taken on a little bit of load and it pretty much epitomizes our group here. We're all pulling rope… [Saros] made some big saves and [Kevin Lankinen] was awesome last game. Our D-core did what it took tonight, blocking shots on hard plays, putting themselves out there when maybe we didn't have our A-game. But we were finding the ways.”

Josi & Nyquist Keep Rolling

Factoring on Forsberg’s goal, Roman Josi and Gustav Nyquist both kept their respective point streaks alive, as well.

Josi, credited with the primary helper, extended his streak to six games (3g-7a), while Nyquist stretched his to five (2g-5a) off the secondary assist.

UP NEXT

The Predators can extend their point streak to 18 games when they face the Vegas Golden Knights at Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday. Click here to get tickets.

Puck drop is at 7 p.m. CT with the game set to broadcast on Bally Sports South, 102.5 The Game and El Jefe Radio.

NOTES

• Nashville recorded consecutive shutouts for the 10th time in franchise history and first since March 5-7, 2020.
• The Predators extended its shutout streak to 154:14 dating to March 19. It marks the fifth-longest sequence in franchise history behind 233:39 from March 22-30, 2008, 181:07 from March 3-10, 2020, 163:04 from Dec. 13-19, 2017 and 155:06 from Feb. 10-16, 2013. 
• Nashville’s 17-game point streak is the 23rd longest in NHL history and the longest since the Carolina Hurricanes’ 17-game streak (15-0-2) from last season.
• Forsberg extended his goal streak to five games and sits one contest shy of matching the franchise record – a mark he matched in 2014-15 and shares with J-P Dumont (6 GP in 2007-08), Alexander Radulov (6 GP in 2007-08), Patric Hornqvist (6 GP in 2011-12) and James Neal (6 GP in 2016-17).
• Saturday was the first game in Nashville’s 17-game point streak to feature no score through the first two periods of play.
• Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Dante Fabbro (upper body, week-to-week), Cody Glass, Jeremy Lauzon (lower body, week-to-week) and Spencer Stastney (upper body, week-to-week) were scratched and did not skate in Saturday’s game.