Forsberg has 2 goals, assist in Predators’ 5-4 OT win

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - Filip Forsberg is amazing his Nashville teammates with his recent scoring surge.

“He’s the best player in the league right now, the way he’s playing,” Predators defenseman P.K. Subban said. “Whatever he’s doing, I don’t know what it is. Just continue doing it.”

Forsberg scored 2:45 into overtime and the Predators came back to beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-4 on Tuesday night for their fourth straight win.

Forsberg had a goal and an assist in the final nine minutes of the third period to lead the Predators back from a 4-2 deficit. Forsberg has 10 goals and four assists during a six-game point streak. He has scored in five straight games.

“He’s been outstanding,” Predators coach Peter Laviolette said. “There’s nobody else that you’d want the puck on their stick in the closing minutes of the third period to get it to overtime. And then in overtime, that’s the guy who has to have it on his stick.”

Forsberg didn’t agree with Subban’s assessment that he’s the best player in the NHL right now.

“No, I can’t say that,” Forsberg said. “There’s too many good players.”

From the other corner of the locker room, teammate Austin Watson yelled, “yeah you are.”

Forsberg scored the winning goal on a 2-on-1 break, beating Robin Lehner with a wrist shot from the right circle. It was the first shot of the extra period for the Predators, who spent the first 1:57 of overtime killing a boarding penalty on Viktor Arvidsson.

Forsberg got the tying goal with 2:23 left in regulation, maneuvering around Sabres defender Rasmus Ristolainen and scoring from the right slot. It was Forsberg’s 25th goal of the season.

Forsberg set up Ryan Johansen’s goal that cut Buffalo’s lead to 4-3 with 8:44 left in the third.

Colin Wilson and Mike Fisher also scored for the Predators.

Kyle Okposo, Brian Gionta and Jake McCabe each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres. Evander Kane also scored and Lehner made 36 saves. Buffalo has lost four in a row.

Gionta, Buffalo’s captain, called the Sabres “fragile.”

“It’s being a young team trying to find our way,” Gionta added. “When we’ve got those leads, we can’t sit back.”

Kane scored his 22nd of the season to give the Sabres a 3-2 lead at 5:35 of the second period. Receiving a pass from Gionta on a 2-on-1, Kane sent a wrist shot from the right circle past Pekka Rinne.

McCabe made it 4-2 in the first minute of the third period. Playing 4-on-4 after Kane and Subban both took roughing penalties, McCabe collected a long rebound of Okposo’s shot from the point and snapped a shot into the top corner of the net.

The Sabres jumped out to a 2-0 lead before the Predators scored twice in a span of 3:20 around the first intermission to tie the game.

Wilson scored the Predators’ first goal, his 11th of the season, on a power play 2:09 into the second.

Johansen’s shot from the right circle was blocked and dribbled to the far side of the net where Wilson buried a wrist shot into a wide-open net.

The Predators made it 2-1 with 1:11 left in the first period when Fisher chased a dump-in and Lehner came out of his crease to play the puck but dove over it, leaving the net wide open for Fisher to tap in his 16th.

The Sabres scored two goals within 1:34 of the first to take a 2-0 lead.

Gionta got his 13th goal of the season when he backhanded a bouncing puck from behind the net off the back of Rinne’s right pad.

Okposo kicked the rebound of McCabe’s broken-stick shot from the point with the toe of his skate, spun around and slipped a backhand from the left side of the net past Rinne for his 19th of the season.

NOTES: This is the Predators’ first four-game win streak of the season. They had won three in a row four times. … Kane has 16 points in his past 17 games. … Lehner returned to the lineup after missing one game with a neck injury. … Buffalo acquired D Mat Bodie from the New York Rangers for forward Daniel Catenacci in a trade of minor-leaguers on Tuesday.

UP NEXT:

Predators: At Montreal on Thursday

Sabres: Host Arizona on Thursday.