NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Ryan Hartman scored twice in a 57-second span and Juuse Saros made 23 saves to lead the Nashville Predators to a 4-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night.
Calle Jarnkrok and Viktor Arvidsson also scored, and Kevin Fiala had a pair of assists for the Predators, who have won two of their last three.
Reilly Smith had the lone goal for Vegas, which has lost three of its last four games.
Smith scored the game's first goal at 17:14 of the opening period. With Vegas on a power play, an unchecked Smith skated to the left faceoff dot and snapped a wrist shot past Saros on the far side. Smith's goal was set up by a nice pass from Jonathan Marchessault along the right boards.
Hartman made it 1-1 at 11:27 of the second. From the left boards, Fiala passed to Hartman in the high slot. Hartman danced around Vegas defender Colin Miller before making a move and beating Vegas goaltender Malcolm Subban high to the stick side, just beneath the crossbar.
Fiala and Hartman teamed up again 57 seconds later to give Nashville a 2-1 lead. Nashville entered the Vegas zone on a 3-on-1. Fiala sent a nifty backhand pass from the right circle to Hartman at the left faceoff dot. Hartman did not get all of the puck with his one-timer, but he got enough to beat a sliding Subban high to the stick side.
P.K. Subban, the older brother of the Vegas goaltender, picked up the secondary assist on the goal.
Jarnkrok gave Nashville a two-goal lead at 6:37 of the third. On another odd-man rush, Craig Smith sent a pass from the right side to Jarnkrok in the left circle, where he ripped a one-timer past Malcolm Subban, who finished with 24 saves.
With the Vegas goaltender pulled for an extra attacker with just over two minutes remaining in the third, Arvidsson was fouled from behind by Nick Holden on a breakaway and a goal was credited to the Swedish winger.
Notes: Hartman had his first multi-goal game as a Predator. . Nashville has allowed at least one power-play goal in their last four games. . Predators D Matt Irwin played his first game of the season after being a healthy scratch for the first 11. . Vegas has scored one power-play goal in three consecutive games.
UP NEXT
Golden Knights: Visit St. Louis on Thursday.
Predators: Visit Tampa Bay on Thursday.
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