Filip Forsberg scores overtime winner for Nashville Predators against Montreal Canadiens
Eeli Tolvanen wasn't about to turn down a tip on the Predators' first goal Saturday.
Filip Forsberg wasn't about to turn down a game of pick-up-sticks in overtime, when he scored the winning goal with 12 seconds left, seconds after "using his last few breaths" to pick up his loose stick in the 4-3 victory against the Montreal Canadiens.
Tolvanen had gone more than two months, 22 games and 61 shots on goal since his last score, which came on his first shot of the season Oct. 14.
So when Mattias Ekholm's shot deflected off the Predators forward's stick 4:52 into the first period, Tolvanen celebrated with his teammates and gladly accepted the gift.
Two minutes into the second, Mark Borowiecki took exception to Michael Pezzetta's hit on Matt Benning and immediately dropped his gloves to the ice and Pezzetta soon followed.
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Nick Suzuki's power-play goal with 15:12 remaining in the second tied the score 1-1.
Christian Dvorak's goal with 9:59 left in the second gave the visitors a 2-1 lead. The Predators challenged for goalie interference, but the goal stood after review.
Nick Cousins served the resulting penalty for the lost challenge. The Canadiens then had a two-man advantage for 1:04 after Alexandre Carrier was called for high sticking.
Tanner Jeannot knotted the scored at 2-2 with 2:36 left in the second, when he redirected Ekholm's shot past Jake Allen.
Brett Kulak untied it in Montreal's favor with 16:50 left in the third, just before birthday boy Luke Kunin and Kulak dropped the gloves.
Kunin treated himself and the Predators to a present when he tied it with 9:48 remaining in the third.
The Canadiens fell to 6-17-3 and have lost three in a row. The Predators moved to 13-10-1.
Reach Paul Skrbina at pskrbina@tennessean.com and follow him on Twitter @PaulSkrbina.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Filip Forsberg scores OT winner for Nashville Predators vs Canadiens
