Calgary @ Nashville preview
Bridgestone Arena
Last Meeting ( Nov 7, 2023 ) Nashville 2, Calgary 4
Now to see what the Nashville Predators can do for an encore.
It has been a tough start to the season for the Predators, but they go into Wednesday's home game against the Calgary Flames with a renewed sense of confidence after a thrilling 4-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Monday.
With time winding down and Nashville trailing by a goal, Filip Forsberg and Yakov Trenin scored 16 seconds apart in the final minute of regulation for a wild victory.
"That was a big one for us," said Forsberg, who has collected seven goals and two assists during a five-game point streak. "We played well all game against a really good team on the other side. In the third period, I thought we deserved to tie the game for sure, and obviously it couldn't have happened a better way with that goal to win it. I thought it was a really solid effort."
It marked the first time this season that Nashville has won when trailing after two periods. The Predators are now on a two-game winning streak following a four-game skid.
Now, the mission is to build off an emotional win against a league power as the Predators conclude a five-game homestand.
"We've got to do that a lot more often," said Nashville forward Gustav Nyquist, who also is on a five-game point streak. "We can't get too much ahead of ourselves here. We've got another big test against Calgary, who we owe one to from the last game, so we've got to be ready to go against them right away."
The Flames come to town also feeling confident in their game. Since enduring a miserable six-game losing streak, Calgary has put together a 5-1-2 run, which includes a 4-2 comeback victory over the Predators at home on Nov. 7.
The Flames are coming off Monday's come-from-behind, 4-3 overtime win over the Seattle Kraken to start a four-game road trip. Just like the Predators, the Flames trailed going into the third period but tallied late -- Andrew Mangiapane's 100th career goal forced overtime -- and Rasmus Andersson scored to give the Flames their first overtime win of the season.
It was a reward for a dominant third period in which Calgary outshot the Kraken 16-3.
"We're a tough team when we all play together and all play the right way," Mangiapane said. "At times we get away from it and we have to clean that up, but I think when we really want to and want to bear down, we're a tough team to play against."
He was not alone in recording a milestone in the clash. Captain Mikael Backlund became the 11th player in franchise history to record 500 points with the club by assisting on the winning goal.
"It feels good that it was a pass on a winning goal," Backlund said. "A big win for us, and yeah, it's a big milestone. When I came into the league, my first few years, I never maybe thought or expected myself to get to 500 points, let alone stay in the league this long."
--Field Level Media