In Nashville early Friday morning, Mike Fisher ended the marathon between the Predators and the San Jose Sharks when he finally beat Martin Jones to give the Preds a 4-3 win.
The goal came at 11:12 of the third overtime period.
“Just trying to find energy and just play together,” Fisher said. “Play simple, try and help each other out. They’re doing kind of the same, and obviously play slowed down. You knew it was going to be one of those plays where you just get pucks to the net, rebounds, whatever.”
The win tied the series up at two games apiece heading back to San Jose this weekend.
“I’m so happy for the guys for pulling it out and getting the win,” Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said. “They invested a lot. There’s a lot of character in our room. To win a game like that is big if you think about the other scenario. You’re 3-1 the other way; one win, three losses. This ties it up 2-2; it shortens the series. Our guys played like champs tonight.”
James Neal forced overtime when he tied the game at 3-3 with less than five minutes to go in regulation.
The game had been a back and forth affair for the 60 minutes of regulation.
“It was a huge game, obviously, to tie the series up,” Nashville forward Filip Forsberg said. “Coming out for every period, the fans just got more and more crazy out there. It was pretty awesome actually. I guess that’s what kind of drives us.”
Joe Pavelski appeared to win it for the Sharks in the first OT but the goal was waived off for incidental contact with Pekka Rinne.
“The explanation I got was they ruled that he did get his stick on it before it crossed the goal line so it was a good goal from that point of view, but that he made incidental contact with the goalie,” Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said. “That’s why they waved it off. ”
Colin Wilson and Fisher had goals in regulation for the Predators.
Brent Burns had two goals in regulation and Joonas Donskoi added a goal in regulation for the Sharks.
Rinne had 44 saves in the win and Martin Jones stopped 41.
Game 5 will be in San Jose Saturday (10 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports).
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