Pete Weber’s Postgame Report
Mattias Ekholm #42 of the Nashville Predators (Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images)
Mattias Ekholm finally ended the Nashville Predators’ overtime jinx on Saturday night.
The Swedish defenseman scored with 1:51 left in the extra period, lifting the Predators to a 2-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes and their first overtime victory in seven tries this season.
Ekholm corralled a deflected pass from Filip Forsberg, skated in on Eddie Lack and beat the goalie top shelf.
”Obviously overtimes haven’t been our best so far,” Ekholm said. ”We just tried to wait them out and go to offense as soon as we could. As it is, 3-on-3 is a break somewhere and you’ve got to make something happen. Fortunately I got that one past Lack tonight.”
Paul Gaustad tied the game for Nashville with a short-handed goal in the second period. Ekholm assisted and Gaustad got his first goal of the season.
Victor Rask put Carolina ahead 8:58 into the first with his 11th goal.
Nashville’s Pekka Rinne had 27 saves and Lack stopped 19.
Predators coach Peter Laviolette praised Carolina’s defensive pressure.
”We were a little bit slow catching up to that in the first 10 minutes of the first period,” said Laviolette, who coached the Hurricanes to a Stanley Cup title in 2006. ”But in the second I thought we turned it up really well.”
Nashville captain and defenseman Shea Weber played in his 724th game for the franchise, passing Martin Erat for second on the club’s career list. David Legwand played in 956 games.
Nashville hosts Winnipeg on Tuesday night before heading on a four-game road trip.Thunder Radio will bring you the broadcast of that game following our Red Raider basketball broadcast.
