Stamkos OT Winner Lifts Preds Past Avs

Steven Stamkos ripped a power-play one-timer at 2:18 of overtime, and the Nashville Predators beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 at Ball Arena on Thursday for their third straight win. Stamkos took a Roman Josi feed through a screen and buried it short side from the top of the left circle for his 247th career power-play goal, passing Phil Esposito and tying Luc Robitaille for fifth all-time.

Vitali Pinchuk scored his first NHL goal, Ross Colton also scored, and Justus Annunen made 30 saves as Nashville improved to 7-4-5. Colorado fell to 9-6-2 in front of 18,085 in Denver.

Road Punch, Then the Hold

Colton opened the scoring at 4:01 of the first after a goal-mouth scramble, backhanding one past Mackenzie Blackwood. Jaden Schwartz tied it at 9:11 off a Martin Necas cross-ice feed. Pinchuk answered at 14:34, roofing a backhand from the bottom of the right circle for a 2-1 Predators lead and a first NHL goal he will remember for a long time.

Parker Kelly evened it 2-2 at 5:08 of the second on a 2-on-1 snap shot. From there it was a tight, ugly road game until overtime handed Nashville the man advantage.

OT Power Play, History on the Stick

Stamkos drew a hooking call on Devon Toews just 20 seconds after Toews hit the left post at 1:42 of the extra frame. On the ensuing power play, Josi and Ryan O'Reilly set up the one-timer Stamkos had been hunting all night. He said earlier power-play looks did not come off the stick the way he wanted. This one did.

"You get a power play in overtime, it's obviously a great opportunity," Stamkos said. Nashville coach Andrew Brunette praised the attack-first start against a Colorado team coming off a 7-2 loss in Columbus and looking angry.

Three Straight on the Road Trip

Pinchuk became the 13th Belarusian player to score an NHL goal. O'Reilly finished with two assists. Blackwood stopped 22 for Colorado. Nathan MacKinnon played his 967th career game, tying Adam Foote for third in Avalanche/Nordiques history, but the home side could not finish the job in overtime.

Smacktok pick lean: Lean higher on Stamkos power-play points. A 247th career PPG as an OT winner is the version of his shot that still decides games when Nashville gets the man advantage late.

A first NHL goal for Pinchuk, an OT dagger for Stamkos, and three straight for the Preds in Denver. Road hockey done right.