PHILADELPHIA – Matt Duchene scored with 37 seconds gone in extra time in a Saturday matinee to give the visiting Nashville Predators a 2-1 win over the Flyers.
“I thought I might have had a chance to beat their guy wide and take it to the net, and he did a good job of skating back,” Nashville’s Ryan Johansen said. “By doing that, though, it gave Matt a little time and space just to drop it to him and get a shot off, and he took over from there and got it done.”
Juuse Saros made 23 saves in the Predators win.
Nashville improved to 25-19-6.
“We knew coming into tonight’s game that there’s a certain intensity level and focus level that we need to be able to play with here coming down the stretch, and tonight was a typical example of I think how hard games are going to be,” Nashville coach John Hynes said. “You have teams that are trying to prove something, you have teams that are fighting for playoff position.
“So it winds up most nights, night in and night out, being the most competitive time of the season.”
After a scoreless first period, Nino Niederreiter staked the Preds to a 1-0 lead.
“Definitely felt great,” Niederreiter said. “Had enough chances the last several games. Definitely happy that one went in. It was a terrific pass by ‘Duchy’ and I didn’t have to do very much more.”
Philadelphia replied with a goal from Kevin Hayes, his 17th of the campaign.
The Flyers dropped to 22-22-10.
“The part of the game where we wish were more effective, we had some odd-man rushes and we come up with nothing,” Flyers coach John Tortorella said. “We were scoring goals up to the [All-Star] break, since the break we’re grinding away. … I think when you get into a situation like this, like we were earlier in the year, you just can’t give up much and I think our guys have gone about their business that way, to make sure they defend the proper way.
“A lot of the game, we did, tonight. Hopefully we get some guys, just something bounce off them.”
Nashville’s Filip Forsberg did not ice the final two periods of the match. He was hit with five seconds left in the fist period by the Flyers’ Rasmus Ristolainen .
It appeared Forsberg hit his head on the ice.
“It could be anything the way that he went down,” Hynes said. “I have not talked to the trainers. They just let me know that he wasn’t going to finish the game.”
The Flyers have lost five of the ir last seven matches.
“It was a lot of bend but don’t break,” Tortorella said. “I thought we did a good job in the middle of the ice when we’re stuck in our end zone. We were OK. … Take the point and run and get ready for your next game.”
Carter Hart made 23 saves in the Philadelphia loss.
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