In Nashville, the Calgary’s Andrew Mangiapane hit for a pair of goals to rally Flames from an 0-2 deficit and force extra time on Tuesday night with the Predators.
Nashville’s Mikael Granlund was credited with the deciding goal in the skills competition for a 3-2 win.
Nashville is two points clear of the Dallas Stars for the first wild card spot in the Western Conference.
Matt Duchene had a goal in regulation for the Predators, his 40th, to become the first player in franchise history to hit the mark.
“Obviously, to do it in my 900th [NHL] game, too, is kind of cool,” Duchene said. “It’s one of those things that you enjoy after the year, but the reaction from the crowd was unbelievable. It made me a little emotional on the bench for sure. … They made it hard not to feel that moment a little bit, so I really appreciate that from the fans.”
Juuse Saros made 19 saves in the Nashville win.
“I really liked the commitment to defend, the way we played tonight,” Predators coach John Hynes said. “I thought it was much more the structure that we need to play with, that makes us a stingy team to play against. I think we got taught some lessons in some loose play against [the St. Louis Blues in an 8-3 loss on Sunday], but I thought the attention to detail tonight was at the level that you need to have to be a stingy team defensively.”
Filip Forsberg also scored for the Preds, his goal gave them a 1-0 lead in the middel frame.
“It was a tight game,” Mangiapane said. “Those are kind of the fun ones to play in, that make us that much better. You want to be in those close games. That’s what playoff hockey is all about. So, it was a good game for us to gear up and get ready for the next couple of weeks here.”
Nashville improved to 44-28-5.
“There’s a mental component of the game and a toughness component of the game that is required to win,” Hynes said. “It’s required to make the playoffs. We’re still in the hunt to be able to do that.
“But I think it’s embracing high-stakes hockey, embracing what the games are like when you play against really good teams or playoff teams or down the stretch, where every game matters and your decisions matter.”
Dan Vladar made 25 saves in the Flames loss.
“It was 2-0, and [the Predators] maybe thought like it’s going to be an easy game,” Vladar said. “Then, all of a sudden, we got those bulldogs in front and they just score. It doesn’t matter how. It can be nice, it can be ugly, whatever, they just score. Guys are blocking shots in front of me. As the season is moving on, it’s more and more fun.”
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