Predators score 3 in 1st, hang on for 3-2 win over Oilers

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Filip Forsberg's hot stretch continues.

Forsberg and Mike Ribeiro each had a goal and an assist to lead the Nashville Predators to a 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night.

Matt Cullen also scored for Nashville, winner of three straight.

Forsberg's seventh goal of the season came with 54 seconds left in the first, capping a three-goal opening period for the Predators.

"We were able to keep a lot of pucks in the offensive zone and generate a lot of attempts at the net and a lot of offense as well as a lot of good scoring opportunities," Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said. "It was a good start for us."

Forsberg scored from the right side when Ribeiro sent a pass his way from behind the net and the rookie slipped it between Edmonton goaltender Viktor Fasth and the right post.

"Obviously, it's really nice to get that goal — especially that late in the period," Forsberg said. "You get three goals up. It's really nice, especially when it wasn't the prettiest one."

Forsberg has scored in five consecutive games and has recorded 10 points in his last six games.

Benoit Pouliot and Nail Yakupov had the goals for Edmonton, which had its two-game winning streak snapped.

"It's such a fine line between having great execution and not having it," Edmonton coach Dallas Eakins said. "And we were all just a little off. Our D weren't getting back quick enough. We were trying to jam it up the wall when the middle was available."

Edmonton fell to 0-7-1 against fellow Western Conference teams this season.

Ribeiro opened the scoring at 2:51 of the first period.

James Neal's shot from the right side was stopped by Fasth, but Ribeiro was in front to backhand in the rebound for his fourth of the season.

"It was a bad reaction, I think, off of the first goal," Edmonton captain Andrew Ference said. "The first few minutes were OK, and then after the first goal it was very scrambly."

Nashville has scored first in just five of 15 games.

Cullen extended the lead at 9:21 of the first. Fasth stopped Seth Jones's shot from the high slot, but Cullen connected on a diving backhand that just sneaked inside the right post.

Cullen played his first home game of the season. He sustained an upper-body injury in the team's first preseason game and returned for the start of Nashville's recently completed six-game road trip.

Ben Scrivens replaced Fasth at the start of the second period. Fasth stopped 14 of the 17 shots he faced in the first. Scrivens made 18 saves and did not allow a goal.

Pouliot got Edmonton on the scoreboard at 31 seconds of the second when he beat Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne with a wrist shot from the top of the left circle.

Rinne finished with 21 saves.

Yakupov drew the Oilers within a goal when he scored at 14:42 of the second off of a nice pass from David Perron.

"They are a very skilled team, a fast team and we knew they would push back," Cullen said. "I think we would have preferred to probably play a little better in the second and keep the game under control, but sometimes that happens. It was nice to respond with a good third period."

NOTES: Nashville D Anton Volchenkov returned to the lineup after serving a four-game suspension for an illegal check to the head of Calgary's Michael Ferland Oct. 31. . At 38 years, 9 days, Cullen holds the Nashville franchise record for oldest player to score a goal. . The Oilers are 0-4-0 when trailing after one period. . Fasth entered Tuesday with a 4-0-0 career record against Nashville.