Predators Beat Sharks 5-3, Set Franchise Record for Most Points
NASHVILLE (AP) -- Ryan Ellis scored the go-ahead goal with 9:54 left and the Nashville Predators beat the San Jose Sharks 5-3 Thursday night to set a franchise record with 111 points this season.
With their 50th victory, the NHL-leading Predators padded their lead to four points over Boston in the chase for their first Presidents' Trophy. Nashville topped the mark of 110 points set in 2006-07 on a night where the franchise also notched its 100th consecutive sellout, a streak that started April 7, 2016, against the Sharks.
Craig Smith and Viktor Arvidsson each had a goal and an assist, Kyle Turris had a goal, and Filip Forsberg had three assists. Nick Bonino added an empty-net goal with 17 seconds left for Nashville, which won the season series against San Jose 2-1.
Juuse Saros made 39 saves for the win, including stopping Logan Couture on a penalty shot with 1:53 left. The goalie also helped the Predators kill a penalty with 3:10 remaining with a flurry of stops.
Couture, Brenden Dillon and Mikkel Boedker scored for the Sharks. San Jose snapped its nine-game point streak.
Turris opened the scoring at 5:26 when he pounced on a rebound of P.K. Subban's shot from the point, beating Martin Jones with a snap shot from the left circle. Ryan Johansen stole the puck near the blue line, and he and Forsberg had nobody in front of them but Jones. Arvidsson scored off the pass from Forsberg for his team-leading 29th goal this season midway through the first.
Couture took advantage of Evander Kane in front of Saros to score on a wrist shot at 6:55 that went over the goalie's right shoulder. Dillon tied it at 2 at 12:05 with a shot from the point over Saros' right shoulder off the crossbar.
Smith put the Predators up 3-2 at 10:38 of the second with a wrister from in front that slipped under Jones' left pad.
For all the Predators' success, their biggest issue has been the power play. They came in 3 of 44 since March 1 and went 0 of 5 against the Sharks, which included 41 seconds of a 5-on-3. Rookie Eeli Tolvanen, who signed his three-year entry-level contract earlier Thursday , could help when he makes his highly anticipated debut, likely Saturday night.
Boedker beat Saros with a wrist shot at 5:54 of the third.
Ellis put the Predators ahead to stay with a slap shot after the puck bounced out to him off a shot attempt by Forsberg.
NOTES: The Predators are 66-21-13 during their current sellout streak. ... Nashville also matched its top mark for wins in a single month with 11. The Predators won 11 in March 2010 and January 2012. ... Sharks center Eric Fehr missed a third straight game with a lower body injury and center Barclay Goodrow was scratched after leaving Tuesday night's overtime loss to St. Louis in the first period with an upper body injury.
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Sharks: Visit the Golden Knights on Saturday night.
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