In a decisive matchup on Saturday evening, Ryan O’Reilly netted his fifth career hat trick in the NHL, leading the Nashville Predators to a 4-1 victory over the Calgary Flames. This win marked Nashville’s second consecutive triumph in as many nights.
Justus Annunen displayed a stellar performance in goal by turning aside 31 shots, following Juuse Saros’ impressive 27 saves in a shutout victory against Vancouver on Friday. Rookie center Fedor Svechkov contributed not only a goal but also an assist, marking the first multi-point game of his NHL career. Additionally, Filip Forsberg played a significant role with two assists in the contest.
The Flames managed to score a single goal through Mikael Backlund, while their goalkeeper, Dustin Wolf, recorded 24 saves. Notably, this defeat marked Calgary’s first back-to-back losses since November.
O’Reilly kicked off the scoring for the Predators with a power-play goal at 4:21 of the second period, deftly lifting the puck over Wolf from close range after Svechkov maneuvered it out from behind the net.
In terms of noteworthy developments, 22-year-old Ozzy Wiesblatt returned to the Predators lineup in Calgary, where he had played his minor hockey years. During warmups, supportive messages filled the glass as family and friends cheered him on.
For the Flames, winger Andrei Kuzmenko made a challenging return after being scratched in seven of the last eight games. Despite being a 39-goal scorer just two seasons ago, Kuzmenko has struggled this year with only one goal to his name. His return was further marred by penalties during both of Nashville’s power-play goals, including one for playing with a broken stick.
A significant moment in the game came when Calgary was trailing 1-0 and the teams were skated four aside. A defensive turnover resulted in Jonathan Huberdeau getting a clear breakaway, yet Annunen successfully denied the Flames’ leading scorer. Shortly after that, O’Reilly extended the lead to 2-0.
Another concerning trend for Calgary is that they have allowed a power-play goal in six straight contests.
Looking ahead, both teams will continue their road trips on Tuesday night, with the Predators set to face off against Winnipeg and the Flames heading to Anaheim.
