Saros Ices Stellar Performance as Predators Defeat Sabres 2-1

Juuse Saros turned away 34 shots and Filip Forsberg and Yakov Trenin each found twine as the Nashville Predators defeated the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 to conclude their first back-to-back set of the season on Sunday night at KeyBank Center.

The victory came on the heels of a disappointing loss at Bridgestone Arena on Saturday evening, in which the Predators outshot the visiting New York Rangers 41-27, but ultimately fell by a 4-3 decision.

Tonight, the quick one-two punch from Forsberg and Trenin - along with some stellar goaltending from No. 74 - secured Nashville the two points and a boost of confidence as they turn their attention toward Tuesday's meeting in Chicago.

“It was great,” Forsberg said. “I thought we did a lot of good things last night and didn’t get rewarded. And tonight I thought maybe we weren’t as good, but at the same time we did a lot of good things and good things came.”

PLAY-BY-PLAY

Forsberg put Nashville on the board first, collecting the puck off the faceoff and ringing it off the far post and in just under 10 minutes into the opening frame. 

Trenin added another 74 seconds later, redirecting a shot from Colton Sissons past Buffalo netminder Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen for Nashville’s second of the evening. 

The Sabres struck back midway through the second period as forward Victor Olofsson capitalized on a penalty shot, but that would be as close as the home team would come to toppling Nashville’s lead.

The Predators went 0-for-1 on the power play and were untested on the penalty kill.

QUICK HITS 

Juuse Staros

After making 11 saves on 15 shots and getting replaced by Kevin Lankinen early in the second period against the Minnesota Wild, Saros delivered the kind of performance he’s become known for across the NHL.

“He’s the best goalie in the League for a reason,” Forsberg said. “A bounce back like that is something we’re used to seeing, and we’re very spoiled to have him.”

Blocking 34 of 35 shots, including a highlight reel pad save, Saros earned his team the two points through a tough battle against a Buffalo team desperate to get back into the win column. 

“He’s a battler, he’s a competitor. He competes on everything - every practice, every shot - and I thought he was really sharp tonight,” Brunette said. “Right from the get-go, you could tell he was dialed in. He’s the ultimate team player and he’s the type of kid who’s going to will himself to play like he did tonight, and for his team, too. So, I really appreciate that as a coach.”

Back-to-Back

Nashville entered Sunday’s game just over 24 hours removed from a gritty skirmish against one of the League’s top teams. 

The Preds, however, met the challenge head on and exited their first back-to-back set of the season with a big two points. 

“It was a hard game,” Head Coach Andrew Brunette said. “[Buffalo] was a desperate team and a little fatigue set in for us. This is our first back-to-back and maybe we weren’t as sharp late, but the will and the desire to win was there and we had some great goaltending, so it was a big win for our group.” 

The Predators will be put to the test three more times in December alone, with back-to-back sets against Toronto and Montreal, Carolina and Washington and Detroit and Washington set for the coming weeks.

UP NEXT

The Predators head to the Windy City to face the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on Tuesday for the second of a four-game season series against the Central Division rival.

The puck drops at 7:30 p.m. CT. Fans can catch the action on Bally Sports South, 102.5 The Game and El Jefe Radio.

NOTES

• Forward Mark Jankowski was recalled from the Milwaukee Admirals (AHL) and registered four shots on goal during Sunday’s game. Jankowski leads the Admirals in assists (11) and is second in points (14) in 17 games with Milwaukee this season.
• Tyson Barrie, Liam Foudy and Alexandre Carrier were scratched from Sunday’s game, with Carrier week-to-week with an upper body injury.