Nick Suzuki's OT winner leads Canadiens to a 4-3 win over Predators

Nashville Predators centre Ryan O'Reilly (90) battles Montreal Canadiens left wing Rafael Harvey-Pinard (49) for the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, March 5, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Nick Suzuki scored at 17 seconds of overtime to lead the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-3 victory over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night.

Brendan Gallagher, David Savard and Joshua Roy also scored, and Jake Allen made 25 saves for the Canadiens, which snapped a two-game losing streak.

"In the second we (bent), we didn't break," Montreal coach Martin St. Louis said. "In a lot of our second periods lately we tend to break more than bend. We just stayed the course."

Ryan O'Reilly scored a goal and assisted on two others; Filip Forsberg and Gustav Nyquist each had a goal and an assist, and Juuse Saros made 26 saves for Nashville.

The Predators had their eight-game winning streak snapped.

"It was probably not to the standard that we've held, but that standard is hard to keep," Nashville coach Andrew Brunette said.

In overtime, Suzuki beat Saros with a tough-angle one-timer from the lower left circle for his 100th career goal.

"I just fired it on net, honestly," Suzuki said. "It was well placed."

With the game tied at two late in the third, O'Reilly beat Allen from the lower part of the right faceoff circle for his third goal in as many games. Roy tied it with 5:05 to go.

"It's a disappointing game," O'Reilly said. "I think we've had better, but we'll keep going and respond next game."

Former Canadien Michael McCarron appeared to score the go-ahead goal with 3:02 remaining, but Montreal challenged the goal, and a video review determined that the puck was played with a high stick.

Forsberg scored the game's first goal with 4:36 remaining in the opening period.

Luke Evangelista stickhandled through the slot before slipping a backhand pass to Forsberg on the left side, where he lifted a backhand underneath the crossbar for his 30th goal of the season.

The 30-goal campaign is the fourth of Forsberg's career.

He also extended his point streak to six games.

He has four goals and five assists over that stretch.

Nyquist made it 2-0 at 5:11 of the second, converting on a tap-in from just outside the crease off a nice backhand pass from Forsberg from below the goal line.

Gallagher halved Nashville's lead with 3:21 remaining in the second on a one-timer from the high slot.

Savard tied it six seconds later off the ensuing faceoff when his dump-in hit a seam in the glass and went directly into the net.

Saros vacated, anticipating the puck would travel behind it.

"Definitely lucky bounce, but you take all of those," Savard said. "I think we needed it. We just scored a big goal and to go right back to 2-2, was big for us. It gave us a little bit of wings to keep going."

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published on March 5, 2024.