Filip Forsberg scores lone shootout goal to lift the Predators past Utah, 4-3

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Filip Forsberg beat Karel Vejmelka with a backhander for the lone shootout goal in the Nashville Predators' 4-3 victory over the Utah Hockey Club on Thursday night.

Forsberg, Nick Blankenburg and Ryan O’Reilly scored in regulation, and Juuse Saros made 39 saves and turned aside all three Utah attempts in the tiebreaker.

Nick Bjugstad, Josh Doan and Dylan Guenther scored for Utah — eliminated from playoff contention Wednesday night — in its home finale in its first season in Salt Lake City. Vejmelka stopped 28 shots.

Utah failed to score on an overtime power play after Fedor Svechkov was sent off for hooking Mikhail Sergachev midway through the extra period.

Guenther tied it at 3 with at 5:42 of the third period with his 27th goal of the season.

Nashville scored power-play goals late in the second and early in the third to tie it. With Utah’s Logan Cooley off for tripping, Blankenburg pulled the Predators within one with a long wrist shot with 3:39 to go in the second.

Forsberg then drew a hooking penalty on Sean Durzi with a second left in the period, and tied it with his team-leading 31st at 1:19 of the third. O’Reilly gave Nashville a 3-2 lead at 3:17 with the Predators' third goal in a 5:56 span.

The teams will meet again Monday night in Nashville.

Predators: Nashville is 14th in the Western Conference at 29-42-8.

Utah: Utah finished 18-15-8 at home. It is 11th in the West at 36-30-13.

After the first five shooters failed in the tiebreaker, Forsberg flipped the backhander behind Karel Vejmelka to end it.

Nasahville was 2 for 3 on the power play and killed both Utah advantages, the last in overtime.

Both teams play Saturday night. The Predators are at Vegas, and Utah is at Dallas.

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