The Nashville Predators scored early in periods and often, skating to a 5-3 win in Colorado on Tuesday night. The Predators notched four of their five goals within the first four minutes of the second and third periods, utilizing quick starts in a 5-3 win. Ryan Johansen and Austin Watson each had a goal and an assist to lead Nashville.
The teams were tied at one after one period on goals from Mike Fisher and Mikko Rantanen. After the break, Nashville came out firing.
Viktor Arvidsson notched his seventh of the year just seven seconds into the second period off a sharp pass from P.K. Subban. Kevin Fiala scored off a rebound at the 3:04 mark and Colorado trailed 3-1. Cody McLeod tried to spark Colorado, mixing it up with Watson shortly after the Fiala goal. Rene Bourque netted his team-leading eighth of the year to cut the deficit to one heading into the second break.
Nashville again struck early in the third, as Johansen split three defenders and beat Calvin Pickard glove side less than 40 seconds into the period. Watson added another at 2:42 of the third to put the game out of reach. Colorado looked like they might have some fight left in them when Mikhail Grigorenko brought them within two at 4:01, but Nashville clamped down for the rest of the period and left Denver with the win.
Colorado drops to 9-11-1 on the season with the loss, their third in a row on a five-game homestand. The Avs host Columbus on Thursday and Dallas on Saturday before hitting the road for 11 days.
