Rugged winger Ross Johnston scored a goal and added two assists in his 250th NHL game, and the visiting Anaheim Ducks ended a two-game losing streak with a 5-2 win over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night.
It was the ten-year veteran’s first career three-point game.
Cutter Gauthier had a goal and an assist, while Leo Carlsson, Beckett Sennecke and Troy Terry lit the lamp for the Ducks. Jacob Trouba contributed two assists and Lukas Dostal made 26 saves for the Ducks.
Tyson Jost and Filip Forsberg scored and Juuse Saros made 28 saves for Nashville, which has lost four in a row (0-3-1).
The Ducks scored first for the first time in six games this season.
Saros blocked a shot with his blocker, but the rebound went to Johnston and his shot from the bottom of the left circle clipped the blade of Predators defenseman Brady Skjei’s stick and went into the net for a 1-0 lead at 8:52 of the first.
The Ducks couldn’t maintain the lead for long as the Predators tied it 1-1 at 14:29.
Spencer Stastney moved the puck down the right side and centered a pass to Jost, who redirected it into the net from the front of the crease.
Carlsson scored on another rebound to give Anaheim a 2-1 lead at 4:23 of the second, but Forsberg made it 2-2 at 6:39 when he deflected a Roman Josi shot.
The Predators killed a 5-on-3 power play that lasted 1:23, but they couldn’t capitalize on their momentum and gave up two goals in the final five minutes of the second period.
Gauthier completed a 2-on-1 at 15:07 for a 3-2 lead, and Sennecke scored on a one-timer on a cross-ice pass from Mason McTavish after Johnston won the puck on a forecheck to increase the lead to 4-2 at 16:59.
Sennecke, the third overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, has three goals and two assists in his first six NHL games.
Johnston helped force another turnover in the Nashville zone and Ryan Poehling served Terry for a redirection to extend the lead to 5-2 at 11:40 of the third period.
Johnston finished his night battling Michael McCarron with 6:29 left for Gordie Howe’s hat trick.
Johnston entered Tuesday with 32 points in 249 games, but 477 penalty minutes.
–Field level media
