Rugged winger Ross Johnston tallied 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 against 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 knocked down a shot with his blocker, but the rebound went to Johnston and his shot from the bottom of the left circle clipped off the stick blade of Predators defenseman Brady Skjei and into the net for a 1-0 lead at 8:52 of the first.
The Ducks couldn’t enjoy the lead for long as the Predators tied it 1-1 at 14:29.
Spencer Stastney brought the puck down the right side and centered a pass to Jost, who redirected it into the net from in front of the crease.
Carlsson scored on another rebound to move Anaheim back ahead 2-1 at 4:23 of the second, but Forsberg tied it 2-2 at 6:39 when he tipped in a shot by Roman Josi.
The Predators killed a 5-on-3 power play that lasted 1:23, but they couldn’t ride the momentum and surrendered two goals in the final five minutes of the second period.
Gauthier finished off a 2-on-1 at 15:07 for a 3-2 lead, and Sennecke scored on a one-timer off 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 fed Terry for a redirection to extend the lead to 5-2 at 11:40 of the third period.
Johnston capped his night by fighting Michael McCarron with 6:29 left for the Gordie Howe hat trick.
Johnston entered play on Tuesday with 32 points in 249 games, but 477 penalty minutes.
