McCarron's pair of goals power Predators to victory over struggling Senators

Michael McCarron scored twice and Juuse Saros made 36 saves to lead the Predators over the Ottawa Senators 4-1 on Tuesday night in Nashville.

Tanner Jeannot and Matt Duchene also scored to help Nashville win its second consecutive game. Mattias Ekholm had three assists and Alexandre Carrier added two.

"I think our goaltender played fantastic," Predators head coach John Hynes said. "I think our goaltender was a big difference in the game tonight. We fought and found a way to win. I don't think it was a recipe to give yourself a chance to win every night. But I thought there were certain components of the game that were good enough, and certain players in the game that were good enough, to give us a chance to win."

Brady Tkachuk scored and Anton Forsberg made 28 saves for Ottawa, which has lost four of five.

WATCH | Moment of silence in memory of Sens owner Eugene Melnyk :

Moment of silence in memory of Senators owner Eugene Melnyk

3 years ago

Duration 0:58

A moment of silence for Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk, who died on Monday after an illness, before his team faced the Predators in Nashville.

Ottawa struck first at 4:53 of the opening period on the power play.

With the Senators on a two-man advantage, Tim Stutzle sent a pass from the right side to Tkachuk in the low slot, where he redirected the puck between Saros' pads.

McCarron tied the game with 37.8 seconds remaining in the first with a short-handed goal.

Forsberg left his crease to play a puck below the goal-line, but it stopped in the no-play zone next to the trapezoid, leaving Forsberg unable to touch it. McCarron grabbed the puck and wrapped it around the far post before Forsberg could get back in position.

"I think we out-chanced them," Ottawa head coach D.J. Smith said. "I think we probably outplayed them. We gave up a shorty at the end of the first after obviously those power plays."

Saros was sharp, particularly in the second period. At 5:37, he made a kick save on Drake Batherson on a 2-on-0 break. Late in the period, he stopped a penalty shot by Connor Brown.

With 7.2 seconds left, Roman Josi impeded Brown from behind on short-handed breakaway, creating the penalty shot. Saros was able to get his blocker on Brown's wrist shot.

McCarron scored his second of the game with 1:46 remaining in the second. From the left half wall, Ekholm sent a pass to McCarron just outside the crease, where he made a quick move before slipping the puck between Forsberg's pads.

"Yeah, the hard work is starting to pay off for me," McCarron said. "Obviously, I'm playing with some amazing players. We're a really good fourth line."

Jeannot scored his 23rd of the season midway through the third and Duchene added an empty-net goal late.

WATCH | Jeannot takes rookie goal-scoring lead:

Predators' Jeannot scores rookie-leading 23rd goal in victory over Senators

3 years ago

Duration 1:02

Rookie Tanner Jeannot from Oxbow, Sask., scores his NHL rookie-leading 23rd goal of the season as Nashville defeats Ottawa 4-1.