In Nashville, the Predators were needing to keep the pace with the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday, who defeated the Carolina Hurricanes, 2-1.
The Preds pushed their win streak to six when Eeli Tolvanen scored with 89 seconds gone in extra time for a 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars.
“I don’t know. I don’t know. That was a gift,” Dallas head coach Rick Bowness said of Gurianov’s backcheck on the play. “That’s all I’m going to say on that. That was a complete gift.”
Juuse Saros made 33 saves in the win.
“I think personally when the team is playing well, it’s easy to chip in,” Tolvanen said. “I think we’re just working hard as a line (with Arvidsson and center Ryan Johansen) and as a team right now. I think the forward group is doing a really good job, and I think that’s one big reason we’re going to get scoring chances. And for me, the power play is working right now really well, so I think that’s a good thing.”
Jason Robertson opened the scoring in the second period for a 1-0 Dallas lead.
Roman Josi tied it up off a power play. marker.
“Today was probably one of the most physical games all year,” Josi said. “I think every time you play Dallas, they’re a hard team to play against. I think it shows what our team can do in games like that, and it’s definitely a huge win for us.”
Josi’s goal was his 434th point, tying him for most by a Swedish-born player.
“It’s a huge honor,” Josi said. “Me and [Streit] are really good friends. He did so much for Swiss hockey because we never had a player that really made it in the NHL. We had a couple of goalies, but he was the first guy really who made it and had a big role on the team. He was a star in the League. For us as young kids, we all looked up to him, and he kind of gave us that belief that it’s possible for Swiss players to make it.”
Roope Hintz restored the Stars’ lead with a strike in the middle frame.
“It’s hard,” Dallas’ Mark Pysyk said. “We’ve been in a lot of overtime games that haven’t gone our way. We’re happy with the point, but we definitely wanted two.”
Calle Jarnkrok made the extra session necessary with a game-tying goal in the fifth minute of the third period.
“I thought it was two teams who played very well today,” Jarnkrok said. “I think they might’ve been a little better than us in the first and the second periods. We just kept going and had our best period last, and it worked today, and we stayed with it the whole game. It was a big win for us.”
Anton Khudobin made saves in the loss.
“We did a much better job on the forecheck in those first two periods,” Bowness said. “In the third, we let their [defensemen] skate up the ice, which is not the way we play. That put us on our heels a little bit.”
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