Filip Forsberg gives Predators 6-5 overtime win over Panthers

Filip Forsberg scored on a breakaway with one minute left in overtime to give the Nashville Predators a 6-5 victory over the Florida Panthers in a wild one from the BB&T Center.

Viktor Arvidsson poked the puck away from Alexander Wennberg just above the Panthers blue line as the Cats were trying to go the other way, and Forsberg, who finished the game with two goals and three assists, cruised in on Bobrovsky and easily solved him five-hole to give the Predators the unlikely win.

After the teams traded goals to start, Nashville fell behind 5-3 before scoring twice in the final 2:06 to force the extra session.

With relief goalie Pekka Rinne off for an extra-attacker, Roman Josi ripped a screaming one-time home at 17:54 and Matt Duchene lifted in own rebound with 57 ticks left on the clock for his second goal of the night. The goals were Duchene’s first of the season.

The Panthers wasted a monster five-point performance from Jonathan Huberdeau, who bagged his first career hat trick and drew assists on Aleksander Barkov and Aaron Ekblad’s power-play goals.

In addition to scoring his third goal of the campaign, Barkov added an assist. Keith Yandle, Markus Nutivaara and Patic Hornqvist were the other Cats who picked up helpers.

Calle Jarnkrok notched the other goal for the Predators, tying the game at twos after Huberdeau scored twice in the opening frame.

Rinne, who stopped all 12 shots he faced, came on to start third period after the Panthers beat Juuse Saros five times on 24 shots and Barkov and Huberdeau scored consecutive goals to put the Cats up by two.

Sergei Bobrovsky finished with 35 saves on 41 shots in a deflating performance that derailed any momentum he had built up after three straight wins. Nashville entered the tilt with just 22 goals in its first 9 games, so to surrender six... just not good by Bob and Florida’s defense.

The Panther did extend its season-opening point streak to seven games (5-0-2). They remain the only team in the NHL without a loss in regulation. It just doesn’t feel like it after they folded like a cheap tent in the final minutes. The streak is the club’s second-longest to start a season, after a 12-gamer (8-0-4 ties) in 1996-97.

With the back-to-back, the good news is they’ll get right back at it tonight, with a chance to get some revenge with Chris Driedger between the pipes net this time.

Claws & Fangs

• Jonathan Huberdeau’s five points established a new career-high for the 27-year-old. He had four points eight previous times. Huberdeau is now tied with Pavel Bure for fourth-most goals (152) scored in franchise history.
• It was the first time since March 1, 2009 that players (Mark Recchi - Tampa Bay, Jerome Iginla - Calgary) on opposing teams had five points in the same game.
• Aleksander Barkov’s goal was his 158th, moving him past Scott Mellanby into second place in franchise history, behind Olli Jokinen (188).
• Keith Yandle and Patric Hornqvist’s helpers extended their point streaks to three games.
• Both Florida and Nashville went 2 for 4 on the power play.
• For the happier side of last night’s result, visit our friends at On The Forecheck.

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