Steven Stamkos put the power back in the Nashville Predators’ power play.
Stamkos scored twice with the man advantage Sunday as the Predators snapped a three-game skid with a 5-3 victory in Vancouver.
The Predators will wrap up their five-game road trip Wednesday at the Seattle Kraken.
Sunday’s victory marked the first time the Predators scored more than three goals in a road game this season, and it came after they went 0-1-2 in their first three games of their Western swing, including a 2-0 defeat Friday at Calgary.
“We needed a response for sure, especially after the last game,” Stamkos said. “We know we have the talent, it’s just, whether it’s posts or bad luck or not being in the right spots, it’s just been a combination of things that haven’t gone our way so far this year, especially offensively. So, sometimes you need a game where you get four or five goals and feel good about yourselves and just build on it.”
Stamkos’ first power-play goal was the 218th of his career, moving him past Mike Gartner and Jaromir Jagr for 11th in league history.
“Just hearing those names, it’s obviously pretty cool as a hockey fan in general to move past Hall of Fame-quality players,” Stamkos said.
Roman Josi had a goal and an assist, Filip Forsberg added two helpers and Zachary L’Heureux scored his first NHL goal for the Predators. Goaltender Juuse Saros made 24 saves.
“Unreal,” L’Heureux said of his goal, which came in his 14th NHL game. “Been working a long way and been close to a month now I’ve been here and hasn’t come, so obviously happy to get it out of the way and keep going.”
The Kraken had a four-game winning streak snapped with a 2-0 loss to the visiting New York Rangers on Sunday, as they were unable to solve Jonathan Quick.
Wednesday’s game will wrap up a six-game homestand for Seattle.
“It’s a good Rangers team and we played them nose-to-nose for most of the game,” Kraken coach Dan Bylsma said. “They had some opportunities for sure and we fought back and had opportunities, forced their goalie into making some great saves. I thought maybe after the second goal went in, there was a little dip.”
It was the fourth time the Kraken have been blanked this season, with three of those coming in the second of back-to-back games.
“You can play as good as any line any night, but if you’re not contributing then it’s a bit of a waste,” Kraken forward Chandler Stephenson said. “We have to start finding the net here.”
Forward Shane Wright, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 draft, was a healthy scratch Sunday after going pointless since Oct. 17.
“As the games have gone along here, Shane’s game has been trending in not-the-best direction,” Bylsma said. “We talked to him about his training camp and how good he was playing, and how strong he was playing. What he was showing off with the skill, and his skating, and his ability with the puck. That was super evident in training camp.
“And really the message is (to) take a reset, watch the game (Sunday) — which he did — and get back focused on playing the way you can play, the way you played earlier in the season.”
–Field Level Media