NASHVILLE (WNCN) – A shorthanded goal got Carolina off and running for a three-goal third period in a 4-2 win over Nashville on Monday.
Vincent Trocheck put Carolina ahead after Nino Niederreiter pressured the Predators into turning the puck over in their own zone. He wired a wrist shot past Pekka Rinne to give the ‘Canes, who were down a man, the lead early in the third period.
Then, about midway through the third, Jake Gardiner broke up what would’ve been a sure goal for Viktor Arvidsson and sprung Andrei Svechnikov, who dished to Sebastian Aho on the odd-man rush for a tap-in goal.
Svechnikov had put the ‘Canes on the board when he ripped a wrist shot from the left faceoff dot past Rinne with less than four minutes to go in the second period. It was his third goal in three games to start the season.
Filip Forsberg responded with his third of the season less than a minute later to tie the game at 1-1. The Predators were on the power play when Dante Fabbro zipped a pass from their zone that Viktor Arvidsson tipped on, finding Forsberg alone behind the Carolina defense with only James Reimer to beat.
Arvidsson hammered a one-timer on the power play to pull the Predators within one, 3-2, with 6:34 to go, but they were unable to draw even. Niederreiter tucked one into an empty net to seal the win with 36 seconds left.
Reimer made 31 stops for a win in his first start of the season.
