Lightning fall short to Predators on Ryan Ellis's goal in OT
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Nashville Predators are developing a knack for late comeback wins.
Ryan Ellis scored 3:15 into overtime and the Predators beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on Saturday night.
Ellis scored from the left circle shortly after Nashville failed to score on power play that resulted from Tampa Bay having too many men on the ice.
The Predators are 3-2-1 when trailing after two periods.
“Right now, it’s happening and we’ll take them,” Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said.
Calle Jarnkrok and Roman Josi also scored, and Juuse Saros stopped 28 shots for the Predators, who are 13-1-2 against Tampa Bay in the last 16 meetings. Nashville’s lone regulation loss to the Lightning this decade came Dec. 19, 2013.
“We just don’t quit,” Josi said. “I think it speaks for our team, we just never quit.”
Tampa Bay got goals from Steven Stamkos and Tyler Johnson. Curtis McElhinney made 37 saves.
“It’s a missed opportunity,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “A game I felt we had control from the drop of the puck to the end.”
Tampa Bay, which entered tied for 27th on the penalty kill, allowed two goals on five short-handed situations.
“Our PK will sort itself out,” Johnson said. “There’s been a few unlucky bounces here, there. A lot of the one’s are just kind of missed opportunities where we have a chance to get the puck out and for whatever reason we just don’t get it out of there and finds a way into the back of the net.”
Nashville played without forwards Matt Duchene and Filip Forsberg, who were out with lower body injuries.
Josi got Nashville even at 2 on the power play at 14:47 of the third. He added two assists, including on Ellis’ game-winner.
“It’s going to sting that we let a point slip away with under 10 minutes left in the third,” Stamkos said. “Again, we’re trying to harp on certain areas of the game that we’re improving, but penalties come back to bite us again.”
The Predators have outscored opponents 24-11 during the third period this season.
Josi has three goals and seven points during a four-game point streak.
Johnson’s in-close goal put Tampa Bay up 2-1 at 9:25 of the second. Stamkos had tied it at 1-all 32 seconds into the period with a power-play goal. Three of Stamkos’ five goals have come with the man advantage.
Jarnkrok opened the scoring at 14:24 of the first, when his power-play shot from the top of the left circle went off Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak’s stick.
Tampa Bay right wing Nikita Kucherov had an assist but was limited to one shot on goal and has not scored a goal in six straight games. He had 41 goals and 128 points last season.
NOTES
Duchene, hurt in Thursday’s win over Minnesota, took part in Saturday’s morning skate. Forsberg is skating on his own. ... Stamkos needs two goals to become the first Lightning player to reach 400. ... Nashville entered with 42 goals in 10 games. ... Tampa Bay D Victor Hedman had an assist, and a point in nine of 10 games this season.
UP NEXT:
Predators: Host Chicago on Tuesday night.
Lightning: Play at the New York Rangers on Tuesday night.
