Matt Duchene scored 34 seconds into overtime to lift the Nashville Predators to a 2-1 victory over the host Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday afternoon.
Duchene also had an assist on Nino Niederreiter’s goal in the second period for the Predators, who lost leading scorer Filip Forsberg to an undisclosed injury at the end of the first.
Predators goaltender Juuse Saros made 23 saves.
Kevin Hayes scored the lone goal and Carter Hart made 23 saves for the Flyers, who fell to 1-9 in overtime this season. Philadelphia never possessed the puck in overtime.
It was a physical game which included two fights.
Nashville came out aggressive in the third period and had several solid scoring chances in the opening 10 minutes, including a pair of shots that caromed off the post.
Hayes had a breakaway at 15:21, but his shot banked off Saros’ glove and elevated just high over the net.
Philadelphia’s Nicolas Deslauriers and Nashville’s Tanner Jeannot became entangled in a fight just 13 seconds into the second period. It likely was a result of the hit against Forsberg at the end of the first.
Forsberg was checked hard into the boards by defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen with 1.1 seconds remaining. Forsberg appeared to hit his head on the ice and did not return to the game.
The Predators went ahead 1-0 at 1:43 of the second period after Niederreiter received a crisp pass from Duchene and scored.
Hayes, the Flyers’ only All-Star representative, scored on the backhand at 10:40 of the period to forge a tie.
Both teams generated very little offense midway through the first period.
Philadelphia’s Joel Farabee fired a slap shot on goal at 12:54, but Saros made a stellar save.
The Predators went 11:07 during one long stretch without a shot on goal.
James van Riemsdyk skated in all alone and ripped a shot off the post with 19.7 seconds left.
–Field Level Media
