ANAHEIM — Filip Forsberg had a goal and two assists in his 600th NHL game for the Nashville Predators in a 6-1 win against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center on Friday.
Colton Sissons had a goal and an assist, Juuso Parssinen had two assists, and Jesus Saros made 26 saves for the Predators (15-14-5), who lost their previous two games and are 3-5-3 in their past 11.
Parssinen and Sissons were moved to the top line with Forsberg prior to the game.
“[They] are so strong on the puck, I just try to do that as well,” Forsberg said. “We’re all built pretty similar, and we think the game is pretty similar as well.”
Sam Carrick scored, and John Gibson made 37 saves for the Ducks (10-23-4), who are 1-2-1 to start a 10-game homestand, tied for the third-longest in NHL history.
“We need to all take a look in the mirror after that one and realize it’s not an ‘X’s and O’s’ thing,” Anaheim forward Troy Terry said. “We just got outworked and outwilled. That’s what that team does, and we can’t let it happen.”
Video: NSH@ANA: Forsberg scores in his 600th NHL game
Sissons gave Nashville a 1-0 lead at 8:06 of the first period when he received a backhand pass in the left face-off circle from Forsberg, who had intercepted a clearing attempt along the boards.
“We had a pretty productive night,” Sissons said of his line. “I think we were all feeling pretty good finding each other and making plays, so hopefully we can continue to build that.”
Gibson, who made 49 saves in a 3-2 shootout win against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday after missing the previous five games with an undisclosed injury, stopped. Nino Niederreiter at 10:19 on a 2-on-1 and saved by a redirection Matthias Ekholm at 11:32 to keep it a one-goal game.
Carrick then tied it 1-1 at 2:20 of the second period. After Justin Kirkland intercepted a breakout pass, Jason Megna dropped the puck to Urho Vaakanainen who stepped into a slap shot that deflected off Carrick’s hip.
“When we are playing our best, we are winning those puck battles, playing with the puck and making the right decisions when we get the puck,” Carrick said. “We just didn’t really do that tonight.”
Yakov Trenin restored the Predators’ lead when the Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler was unable to clear the rebound on his initial shot at 9:04 to make it 2-1.
“We’re doing our best to compete every night. That’s the reality of where our team’s at,” Anaheim coach Dallas Eakins said. “When you are a team like that, you can’t make any mistakes.”
Forsberg extended it to 3-1 at 13:20, scoring after Terry was unable to clear the puck following shots by Sissons and Parssinen.
“I thought tonight we were hungry to get rebounds, to look to score, to screen the goalie, and that makes a big difference; being there versus being there with a purpose,” Nashville coach John Hynes said. “I thought tonight we were there with a purpose.”
Video: NSH@ANA: Josi scores a PPG from the point in the 3rd
Saros made a glove save on the Ducks forward Brett Leason at 9:46 of the third period, and the Predators followed with three unanswered goals.
Thomas Novak made it 4-1 at 10:44 on a wrist shot from the slot after receiving a pass Cole Smith who had stripped the Anaheim defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk behind the net Roman Jose scored on a power play at 15:43 to make it 5-1, and Niederreiter scored with 13 seconds remaining for the 6-1 final.
“I thought we were riding them pretty good down low for a while, especially in the second period after their goal,” Forsberg said. “We kind of took it back to them. I think that’s something we’ve been missing a little bit throughout the season so, hopefully, we can add a little bit more to that.”
NOTES: Forsberg has 119 NHL multipoint games, trailing David Legwand (120) for second-most in Predators history. Josi is first (136). … Vaakaninen had one assist for his first point of the season in 11 games. … Saros made his seventh straight start (3-2-2). … Nashville forward Matt Duchene was plus-1 in 16:12 of ice time after missing one game for the birth of his daughter. … Novak has four points (two goals, two assists) in five games since being recalled from Milwaukee of the American Hockey League on Dec. 19.
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