In Calgary, Tommy Novak was credited with the game-winner on penalties for the Nashville Predators on Monday, in a 3-2 win over the Flames.
The Predators stayed alive in the wild card race, the Flames were eliminated with the loss.
“Just really excited,” Novak said. “Really excited to keep it going. We kind of had our backs against the wall for a while now and we’ve kept finding ways. We’re just really happy to go play more meaningful games these next two games.”
Jusse Saros made 42 saves in the win.
“All the guys are excited,” Nashville’s Egor Afanasyev said. “I feel like we don’t really have a lot of pressure. Guys are just trying to have fun, but at the same time we’re all working as a unit and that’s why stuff has been working for us. We’ve just got to keep going the same way.”
Nashville improved to 41-31-8, they trail the Winnipeg Jets by three points with games to play.
The Flames trail the Jets by two points, but lose the race on the tie breakers.
“It’s still so fresh,” Calgary defenseman Rasmus Andersson said. “I think coming home tonight and waking up tomorrow you’re going to realize what an opportunity we missed. Now we can hardly believe it. It’s painful. I think coming home tonight and waking up tomorrow, that’s when you’re going to realize we’re out and it [stinks].”
The Flames dropped to 37-27-17.
“This year, looking around this room, we have the squad to do it and that probably makes it more frustrating, just we didn’t do it,” Andersson said. “Being in so many games and not coming out on the winning side of those, that’s probably the one thing that’s the most frustrating, for sure.”
Mikael Backlund scored for the Flames near the midway point of the third period to tie the game, 2-2, and force extra time, which solved nothing.
“It’s an empty feeling,” Backlund said. “Pushed for a long time. It’s a long season. We fought all the way to the end. It’s just an empty, hard feeling. Just feels hard right now. Don’t have many thoughts right now. It’s really upsetting, sad, tough. [Stinks].”
Nashville took a 1-0 lead in the first stanza on a goal from Afanasyev.
Calgary tied it in the second, 1-1, n a marker from Troy Stecher .
Zach Sanford scored four minutes into the third period to give the Preds a 2-1 lead.
“I think there’s always pressure, but our group’s doing a really good job about not thinking about it and living in the moment,” Sanford said. “It’s so cliche … you hear teams and players say that all the time, but it works. It’s proven to work and it’s working for us right now.”
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Jacob Markstrom made 27 saves in the loss.
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