Weber scores 17 seconds into OT as Predators down Stars
The Nashville Predators were frustrated by a disallowed goal. Then they made sure the call didn't cost them a win.
Shea Weber scored his second goal of the game 17 seconds into overtime, and the Predators beat the Dallas Stars 3-2 on Thursday night.
The Predators tied Anaheim for the most points in the NHL with two games in hand. They also improved to a league-best 16-2-1 at home. Miikka Salomaki scored in his NHL debut. Roman Josi had two assists.
The Predators thought they scored the winner with 3:47 left in the third period when Filip Forsberg put in a wrister.
Stars coach Lindy Ruff was upset that Predators forward Craig Smith was tied up with goalie Kari Lehtonen, though he was pushed into him by Stars defenseman Jason Demers. The puck squirted over to Forsberg, who shot into a nearly empty net.
Officials huddled and ruled no goal.
"We thought it was a goal," Weber said. "But at the same time, once it's called off you've got to go back and get another one. There's nothing you can do after they overturn it. We just stuck with it."
Ruff hadn't seen a replay, but he said he thought Smith made no effort to get off his goalie. The Stars have bigger issues as they fell to 0-6 in overtime this season.
"We're giving up points in overtime, and that's obviously hurting us in the standings," Stars center Jason Spezza said.
Spezza and Trevor Daley scored for Dallas, which was 4-1-1 in its previous six games.
The Stars took their timeout with 1:31 left in regulation but couldn't beat Pekka Rinne again. They didn't get a chance in overtime as Weber scored his 10th this season on a wrister that hit Lehtonen in the right shoulder and bounced into the net for the win.
The Predators have won the first three games against their Central Division rivals this season.
On a very cold night in Nashville, both teams started a bit sluggishly with fans quiet, as well. Then Mike Ribeiro had a nice drop pass just after crossing the blue line near the right boards, and Weber scored on a slap shot that beat Lehtonen's glove at 15:27 of the first.
The Stars missed a chance to score with the man advantage late in the second period with Craig Smith in the box for interference. But just after the power play ended, Spezza scored with a wrist shot as the puck slipped between Rinne and the post and under his glove for Spezza's seventh goal this season at 12:51.
Salomaki got the puck and nearly scored on a breakaway, though he tapped the rebound past Lehtonen's outstretched right skate at 16:47 to give Nashville a 2-1 lead. The rookie was called up from Milwaukee earlier Thursday, and James Neal and Eric Nystrom were placed on the injured list.
Daley tied it with a wrister from a tough angle, shooting from the right side. He squeezed the puck between the post and under Rinne's glove with 1.6 seconds left in the second.
Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said he liked how the Predators shook off that goal and the disallowed tally.
"Everybody's upset, but you just move past it and you keep playing the game," Laviolette said.
Rinne stopped seven shots in the third to keep it tied, including smothering a slap shot from Tyler Seguin with less than 5 minutes left.
NOTES: Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis was hurt in the second period and didn't return. ... Josi had an assist on Weber's goal for the 100th point of his career. ... Weber has 13 points in his past 13 games with four goals and nine assists. This was his second two-goal game this season. ... Daley has two goals and one assist against Nashville this season. ... The Predators have scored at least three goals in their last 11 games.
