NHL roundup: Predators finally subdue Devils in shootout

[January 31, 2020]  Filip Forsberg and Matt Duchene scored in the shootout Thursday night for the visiting Nashville Predators, who outlasted the New Jersey Devils for a wild 6-5 victory in Newark, N.J.

The win was the record-breaking 1,507th (regular season and playoffs) as a general manager for the Predators' David Poile, breaking a tie with Glen Sather for most by any GM in NHL history. Predators head coach John Hynes also won his first game against the Devils since they fired him on Dec. 3.

Forsberg scored twice in regulation, including the goal that forced overtime midway through the third period. Duchene, Mattias Ekholm and Nick Bonino also scored for the Predators, who are 5-4-0 under Hynes. Goalie Pekka Rinne made 27 saves.

Pavel Zacha had two goals while Nikita Gusev, Jesper Bratt and John Hayden scored once apiece for the Devils, who are 9-11-4 since Hynes was replaced by Alain Nasreddine. Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood recorded 25 saves.

Canadiens 3, Sabres 1

Ilya Kovalchuk and Brendan Gallagher each scored second-period goals as Montreal defeated Buffalo for its third straight road win.

Kovalchuk, playing his 10th game since joining Montreal, tied the game at 1-1 early in the second with his fifth goal in seven games, and Gallagher returned from a six-game absence with a concussion to score his 16th for the lead less than three minutes later.

Jack Eichel secured his first 30-goal season while becoming the first Buffalo player with at least 30 goals and 30 assists since Jason Pominville (30 goals, 43 assists) in 2011-12.

Nashville Predators center Matt Duchene (95) and Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson (74) battle for the puck in front of Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby (70) in the second period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Kings 3, Coyotes 2 (OT)

Alex Iafallo scored 24 seconds into overtime, and Los Angeles ended a five-game losing streak in beating Arizona in Glendale, Ariz.

Iafallo finished with a hat trick, scoring the game's first goal and tying it at 2-2 with 2:54 to play in regulation time before his game winner. Anze Kopitar assisted on two goals and Jack Campbell saved 26 shots in goal.

Nick Schmaltz and Christian Dvorak scored for Arizona, which saw its losing streak reach a season-high four games. The Coyotes are 1-5-2 in their last eight games. Goaltender Adin Hill, pressed into service with All-Star Darcy Kuemper still not ready to return from a lower-body injury, stopped 35 shots.

--Field Level Media

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