The 2023 NHL All-Star break is upon us, and the Nashville Predators came ready to play against the New Jersey Devils and snag a 6-4 win at home.
The Devils are the best road team in the NHL right now. They stayed hot and opened the scoring over the Predators. Jesper Bratt had a goal off a breakaway and Dougie Hamilton made the long pass to set it up. It came on crisp pass from Hamilton.
How it unfolded: Devils vs. Preds
The Predators answered by showing off the future of the franchise with a killer power play strike. Cody Glass cleaned up a shot from Thomas Novak and the rookie Juuso Parssinen. The passing on this power play was nothing short of a clinic.
Only minutes later the Devils answered with a goal of their own. Yegor Sharangovich got it in a great spot to score, and it was all set up by the New Jersey star Jack Hughes. A rising superstar in the NHL.
Anything you can do I can do better is what Cole Smith says. This goal got the crowd into it and is Smith’s second career goal. He got social media buzzing with his first NHL goal less than a week ago.
In the first period the Nashville Predators had 23 shots on goal, the most since the dominant year in 2018 that won the President’s Trophy:
END 1: #Preds 2, Devils 2
— Nick Kieser 🏒 (@KieserNick) January 27, 2023
Shots are 23-8 Nashville.
Johansen stifled by Blackwood on a late breakaway. That’s probably the best 1st period this season.
A lot of the shots in the first period with great chances from the slot.
Mikael Granlund kicks down the front door for an undeniable goal after the Devils once again retook the lead in the second period.
Ryan Johansen would show off his wonderful skill moves open the passing lane right in front. The use of the body is exactly what the coaching staff is looking for. The second period was a great display of using the body to create a stifling defense and good chances in front.
It was all tied up going into the third. Matt Duchene would get right in front of the net gets his own rebound to put the Predators up for good. He finishes with a two-point night and has 14 goals on the season.
Filip Forsberg lives for the back of the net, and he is home tonight. With no contest Forsberg would add another goal for the Predators for his 19th of the season.
The Devils, as you would expect, didn’t go down quietly. A quick response from the Devils makes it interesting. Dawson Mercer scores his 11th goal on assists from Palat and Hamilton.
With the empty net, Tanner Jeannot rips one from the line, and that would end up sending the fans home happy.
This final score of 6-4 could be just what the boys need heading into the All Star Break with plenty of storylines to follow.
An honorable mention must go to Juuso Parssinen with two assists. Parssinen has 16 assists on the season, but the special thing is that six of those are on the power play.
Letting teams beat themselves and taking advantage of those opportunities is a recipe for success. The Predators finish off the best road team in the NHL and go into the break on a high note.
There were plenty of goals in this one and this could have been a catapult into the second half. Could this win propel the Predators into the playoffs? What will the Predators do at the deadline to bolster this lineup?