Ryan O’Reilly had two goals and an assist and scored in the nine-round shootout to help the Nashville Predators to a 5-4 victory against the visiting Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night.
Filip Forsberg and Cole Smith also scored and Juuse Saros made 36 saves for the Predators, who have won two straight for the first time this season.
Joel Armia had a goal and an assist, Adrian Kempe, Corey Perry and Trevor Moore also scored, Brandt Clarke had two assists and Darcy Kuemper made 21 saves for the Kings, who were trying to win three in a row to start the five-game road trip.
O’Reilly scored on a one-timer from the inside edge of the left circle to tie it 4-4 at 14:44 of the third period.
The Kings had back-to-back power plays late in the third, but couldn’t take advantage and went beyond regulation for the fourth straight game and sixth in nine games overall. Nashville also failed to capitalize on a power play in overtime.
Kempe scored glove side from the inside edge of the left circle to give the Kings a 1-0 lead at 7:27 of the first period.
The Predators tied it 1-1 at 9:00 of the first when a wrist shot from the high slot by Spencer Stastney was saved by Kuemper, but the puck squeezed between his body and right arm and O’Reilly nudged it across the goal line.
Forsberg scored off a feed from Matthew Wood to finish off a 2-on-0 breakaway and give Nashville a 2-1 lead 36 seconds into the second period.
The Kings tied it 2-2 one minute later when Armia tried to center the puck to Perry in the slot from below the goal line, but it went off the skate of Nashville defenseman Adam Wilsby and into his own net.
Perry scored for the second straight game when he redirected a pass from Armia into the net from in close for a 3-2 lead at 5:24 of the second.
Smith split three defenders as he entered the Los Angeles zone and held them off as he scored from in close to tie it 3-3 at 7:12 of the middle frame.
Moore scored a rebound after Saros had made a save on a slap shot by Clarke to give Los Angeles a 4-3 lead at 9:50 of the third.
–Field Level Media
