Preds Fall to Hurricanes in Overtime in Game 5

Overtime is a fickle friend.
After winning two-straight games in extra time to tie their Round One series, the Nashville Predators were back in OT for Game 5, looking for another win after regulation to shift the series in their favor.
Two consecutive playoff wins in overtime for the first time in franchise history did not extend to three, however, as the Carolina Hurricanes scored at 2:03 of the fourth period on Tuesday night.
Yakov Trenin tallied twice for the Predators, but Jordan Staal ended things, as Carolina came back to defeat the Predators at PNC Arena. The result gives Carolina a 3-2 series lead and puts the Preds on the brink of elimination with Game 6 on Thursday in what is sure to be a raucous atmosphere in Nashville

Martin Necas scored twice for Carolina in regulation, and Preds goaltender Juuse Saros made 34 saves in the loss, and in yet another back-and-forth affair, Nashville was unable to take their first lead in the series.
"It was a tight game again, and we had the lead going into the third, but every game for the last few games has been really tight and could go either way," Preds Captain Roman Josi said. "We battled, we worked hard, I liked our team's effort and it just didn't go our way tonight."

"It was a hard-fought battle, but unfortunately, we didn't come out on the right end of the stick," Preds Head Coach John Hynes said. "But [I'm] proud of the way the guys played, proud of the way we played, and we're in a series, so it's on to Game 6."

Just as they did in three of the first four games of the series, the Predators potted the first goal of the evening when Josi's point shot was redirected off the stick of Trenin before floating over Alex Nedeljkovic and into the net for a 1-0 advantage. Necas evened the score on a power play late in the opening period when he beat Saros from the right circle, but Nashville got it back early in the second.

Just 53 seconds into the middle frame, Colton Sissons dished to Trenin on a 2-on-1, and the winger tallied his second of the night to give his team the lead once more. The Hurricanes thought they had tied the game again later in the period, but the Predators challenged the play for goaltender interference, and referee Wes McCauley overturned the original call to keep the game at 2-1 in favor of the Preds after 40 minutes of play.
Nashville continued to limit Carolina's chances as the final frame began, but with just under eight minutes to play in regulation Necas converted on a wraparound to beat Saros and force overtime for the third consecutive contest.
The Preds got an early power play in the extra session, but it didn't last long as Alexandre Carrier was whistled for interference, and Staal soon scored in the 4-on-4 to end Game 5.
"It's a tough loss for us," Josi said. "In the third, we kind of were in control of the game, and obviously they scored and then, like I said before, it's such a tight series. There's a lot of chances on both sides, and they just found a way to score in OT tonight. It's a tough loss for us, but we're still in the series, and like I said, we've got to go home and win one."
The Predators will head back to Tennessee facing elimination for the first time in this series, but just as they did in Games 3 and 4, they plan on feeding off the energy of their home crowd in the latest installment in their most important game yet of 2021.
"We're excited to go home," Josi said. "Those two games at home were unbelievable. The crowd always gives us extra boost at home, and we know it's going to be rocking in there. We've got to go home and win one at home."
"We've got a tremendous opportunity to build off what's gone on here in this series," Hynes said. "Come home back to Bridgestone, Game 6, so a tremendous opportunity for us. We've played well as the series has gone on, and another overtime game tonight. As usual, we've been in these situations before, and I think we're programmed and we're ready. Our guys respond, and we'll certainly be ready to go for Game 6 and really excited about the opportunity that we have in front of us here."

Notes:
Preds forward Viktor Arvidsson missed his third-straight game with an upper-body injury and remains day-to-day. Forward Tanner Jeannot re-entered the lineup in place of forward Mathieu Olivier in Game 5 on Tuesday night.
Forwards Brad Richardson, Rem Pitlick, Rocco Grimaldi and Michael McCarron, defensemen Tyler Lewington, David Farrance, Jeremy Davies, Erik Gudbranson and Dante Fabbro, as well as goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo were also scratched in Game 5.
The Predators will return home to Nashville to host Game 6 on Thursday night at Bridgestone Arena with an 8:30 p.m. CT puck drop. If necessary, the two clubs would then head back to Raleigh for Game 7 on Saturday at PNC Arena.