Cody Glass recorded his first career hat trick, and the Nashville Predators extended their season-high winning streak to eight games with a 5-1 home victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday.
Glass, a light-scoring forward, entered the contest with two goals in 33 games this season but doubled that total by securing his first career multi-goal game through the two periods. He then added an empty-netter for his first hat trick in his five-year career.
Tommy Novak had a goal and an assist, Ryan O’Reilly scored his 22nd of the season and Juuse Saros made 25 saves for the Predators.
Nashville has outscored its opponents 37-13 — and tallied at least four goals in every game — while matching the second-longest winning streak in franchise history.
Meanwhile, Colorado was held mostly in check after scoring five goals apiece to win its previous two games. However, star Nathan MacKinnon continued a stellar season by recording his 37th goal and 101st point to extend a point streak that has reached nine games.
Nashville nearly opened the scoring with a little more than seven minutes remaining in the first period, but Colorado netminder Alexandar Georgiev (30 saves) saved Mark Jankowski’s breakaway attempt. However, the Predators did manage to strike first when Glass converted a give-and-go with Colton Sissons with 4:42 left in the first.
MacKinnon, though, continued his latest torrid offensive stretch when he sniped the puck past Saros for a goal in his third straight contest with 2:59 left in the first. He has five goals and 11 assists in his last nine games.
Glass then put Nashville up again with 5:34 remaining in the second. Moments after Saros came up with a key stop on Josh Mason’s redirect, Glass went down to a knee to successfully one-time Novak’s pass into the slot.
Then with 10:14 left in regulation, ex-Avalanche player Ryan O’Reilly was in the perfect spot to tap up a hard carom of the puck off the end boards for his 22nd goal to give the Predators some breathing room. Novak followed via his own power-play score with 2:28 remaining before Glass scored his third.
–Field Level Media
