Winnipeg Jets' Mason Appleton (22) attempts the wraparound on Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros (74) during second period NHL action in Winnipeg on Wednesday, March 13, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods
WINNIPEG – Gustav Nyquist scored a goal and an assist as the red-hot Nashville Predators overwhelmed the Jets 4-2 on Wednesday night.
Jason Zucker, Filip Forsberg and Kiefer Sherwood also scored as the Predators (38-25-4) extended their points streak to 13 games (11-0-2).
Roman Josi set up the first two goals of the game and Juuse Saros made 28 saves for Nashville.
Alex Iafallo and Mason Appleton replied for the Jets (41-19-5).
Connor Hellebuyck stopped 34 of 38 shots for Winnipeg at Canada Life Centre.
Winnipeg pulled to within 4-1 when Iafallo deflected a Brenden Dillon point shot past Saros. Vlad Namestnikov also assisted. The Predators challenged for a high stick but the goal was upheld and Nashville was charged with a delay of game penalty.
Appleton scored a power-play goal with 11 seconds left in the game.
Saros had stopped Iaffalo on a shorthanded breakaway earlier in the third and blocked Sean Monahan’s backhand when he got in alone.
The Predators scored two goals in 22 seconds in the second minute of the third period to take a 4-0 lead and salt the game away against the offensively-challenged Jets.
Forsberg converted a backhand pass from Nyquist after a strange bounce in the Jets end at the 1:29 mark. Zucker then pounced on a rebound of a Colton Sissons shot and put it past Hellebuyck at 1:51.
It was the second of three-game homestand for Winnipeg.
There was no scoring in the second, but Hellebuyck had to be sharp as Nashville outshot the Jets 19-6. Hellebuyck made a quick stop on a puck fired by Forsberg during a second-period power play to keep the score at 2-0.
Earlier in the second, Hellebuyck was forced to stop Forsberg, who dipsy-doodled past the defence and skated in alone on him.
Nashville upped the score to 2-0 late in the first when Sherwood fired a wrister over Hellebuyck’s shoulder from the top of the slot on a nifty setup from Josi. Cole Smith also assisted.
The Predators drew first blood early in the first period when Josi completed a long pass to Nyquist from inside his own zone to the Winnipeg blueline. Nyquist then fired a shot over Hellebuyck’s shoulder. Saros got credited for an assist on the goal.
NOTES – With his second assist, Josi hit a total of 50 helpers for the second time in his NHL career “¦ Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele was a last-minute scratch due to illness. Rasmus Kupari drew in to replace him on the roster “¦ Jets Gabe Vilardi missed his seventh straight game with an upper-body injury “¦ Josh Morrissey has joined Toby Enstrom as the only Jets defencemen to have consecutive 40-assist seasons.
UP NEXT
Jets: Will host the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.
Predators: Will travel to Seattle to face the Kraken on Saturday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published MArch 13, 2024.
