Juuse Saros made 33 saves and Mark Jankowski collected a goal and an assist to fuel the host Nashville Predators to a 3-0 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.
Saros recorded his 20th career shutout and second in 2022-23 by flustering Carolina for the second time this season. The 27-year-old made a franchise-record 64 saves in Nashville’s 5-3 win on Jan. 5 in Raleigh, N.C.
Michael McCarron also tallied and defenseman Dante Fabbro scored into an empty net for the Predators (40-30-8, 88 points), who have won four of their last six games. Nashville moved within one point of the idle Winnipeg Jets for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
Defenseman Spencer Stastney recorded a pair of assists for his first two NHL points while competing in his fourth career game.
Frederik Andersen turned aside 20 shots for the Hurricanes (50-19-9, 109 points), who saw their three-game winning streak come to a halt. Carolina saw its lead to shrink to one point over second-place New Jersey after the Devils breezed to an 8-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday.
With his team short-handed in the first period, Stastney sent a lead pass that found Jankowski in stride. The forward skated in on a 2-on-1 rush and beat Andersen to open the scoring at 7:47. The goal was the sixth of the season for Jankowski and second against Carolina.
McCarron doubled the advantage exactly three minutes later after his sharp-angle shot along the right-wing boards caromed off the right skate of Andersen and into the net. McCarron’s goal was his second of the season and first since Oct. 27.
Carolina appeared to halve the deficit both late in the second period and early in the third, but both goals were negated by successful challenges from Nashville. Brady Skjei’s apparent goal was taken off the board due to goaltender interference, while fellow defenseman Brent Burns’ goal was immediately waved off for an offside call.
Andersen was pulled for the extra attacker late in the third period, and Fabbro made the Hurricanes pay by scoring his second goal of the season.
–Field Level Media
