Forsberg scores late OT goal for Predators in win against Canadiens

Filip Forsberg scored with 12 seconds left in overtime to give the Nashville Predators a 4-3 win against the Montreal Canadiens at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Saturday.

Forsberg dropped his stick in the offensive zone, retrieved it and took a cross-crease pass from Mikael Granlund for his third game-winning goal.
"I wouldn't call it a set play but it worked out," Forsberg said. "It has been done before."
Luke Kunin had a goal and an assist on his 24th birthday, and Juuse Saros made 20 saves for Nashville (13-10-1), including a pad save on Artturi Lehkonen late in the third period. The Canadiens forward had a breakaway at 18:20 and took their second shot of the period.
"It wasn't the prettiest game by any means, but we capitalized on some timely chances and Juuse kept us in it and we found a way to win," Kunin said. "So we'll take the two points and it was a good job by everyone."
Cole Caufield and Tyler Toffoli had two assists each, and Jake Allen made 40 saves for Montreal (6-17-3), which got its first point in three games since general manager Marc Bergevin was fired on Sunday.
"Overtime can go either way, both teams had chances," Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki said. "Collectively as a group, I thought we're heading in the right direction in the last few games. We've been playing a lot better and the wins will come for us."

Saros made a blocker save on Mike Hoffman's shot off a breakaway with 4:08 left in overtime. Nashville outshot Montreal 17-2 in the third and 44-23 in the game.
"[Allen] made some big saves," Suzuki said. "In the third period it could have got away from us, but he stepped up big and he's been doing that all season."
Kunin drew Nashville even at 3-3 when he scored from the edge of the crease on a scramble at 10:12 of the third period.
Kulak gave Montreal a 3-2 lead at 3:10. He drove to the net and, off a Caufield pass from the right side, shot over Saros' glove for his first goal since May 8 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Eeli Tolvanen ended a 22-game goal drought to put Nashville up 1-0 at 4:52 of the first period. Tolvanen deflected Mattias Ekholm's one-timed slap shot from the left point over Allen's left shoulder for his first goal since Oct. 14 against the Seattle Kraken.
Suzuki tied it 1-1 at 4:48 of the second period with Montreal's first power-play goal on the road since Oct. 31 (0-for-15).
"I really tried to shoot the puck a lot today and luckily one went in," Suzuki said. "It's definitely nice to get a goal and help out and score on the power play and give us a boost of confidence there."

Christian Dvorak put the Canadiens up 2-1 at 10:01, tapping in a rebound of a David Savard shot after he outraced Predators defenseman Alexandre Carrier to prevent an icing call. Nashville was penalized after an unsuccessful challenge for goaltender interference.
Tanner Jeannot had gone 10 games without scoring before he deflected Ekholm's rising wrist shot to tie it 2-2 at 17:24. A video review confirmed Jeannot's stick made contact with the puck below the level of the crossbar when he tipped it down and through Allen's legs.
"I liked our mental toughness tonight," Predators coach John Hynes said. "I felt we got off to a really good start in the first period and I think we could have beared down a little bit more on our opportunities and our attack game."
Montreal defenseman Jeff Petry did not make the trip because of an upper-body injury. Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher and defenseman Sami Niku each missed a second straight game in the NHL COVID-19 protocol.
"We battled hard and we came close to winning," Canadiens coach Dominique Ducharme said. "We were right there, but unfortunately we didn't get the second point."
NOTES:Hoffman led the Canadiens with six shots in 19:57 after missing nine games with an upper-body injury. … The Canadiens are 1-17-3 when they score three or fewer goals and 5-0-0 when they score at least four. … Montreal claimed defenseman Kale Clague on waivers from the Los Angeles Kings earlier Saturday. … It was Forsberg's eighth overtime goal, moving him ahead of Shea Weber into second place for Nashville (David Legwand, nine). ... Kunin had a Gordie Howe Hat Trick with a third-period fight against Brett Kulak.