Nashville, TN – The Nashville Predators fell to the visiting Florida Panthers 3-2 at Bridgestone Arena tonight, still without the services of Filip Forsberg.
Forsberg has been out of the Predators line-up with a lower body injury suffered in Nashville’s road win over Las Vegas on Tuesday.
Neither team could get anything going in the opening period of tonight’s game, with both teams getting opportunities that were cast away by both starting goaltenders. Pekka Rinne in net for Nashville and Samuel Montembeault for Florida both started strong to open the game.
Into the third period, where Nashville has been doing most of it’s damage this season, you could just feel a comeback brewing as the Smashville faithful turned up the volume for their Predators.
THE CAPTAIN, Roman Josi delivered at 9:07 of the final frame with a blistering slap shot that beat Montembeault to cut the Panther lead in half, 2-1.
Then Kyle Turris, who is on an early season tear, tied the game at 13:30 scoring on the Nashville power play to draw even at 2-2 and it felt like the roof would blow off the house at the Bridgestone.
The 3 on 3 overtime was uneventful and it was on to a shoot-out to determine which team would pick up the extra point.
Nashville sent Matt Duchene, Ryan Johansen and Kyle Turris to center ice to no avail. Three of the most dynamic scorers in the NHL and they were each turned away by Montembeault.
For the Panthers, all they needed was Vincent Trocheck to slip the puck over the shoulder of an outstretched Pekka Rinne for the only shoot-out goal and the win for Florida.
The Predators are back in action at home on Tuesday night to face the visiting Anaheim Ducks. Puck drops at 7:00pm.
