Glass' hat trick lifts Predators past Avalanche 5-1 for their 8th straight win

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- — Cody Glass scored three goals for his first career hat trick and the Nashville Predators extended their winning streak to eight games with a 5-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night.

Tommy Novak had a goal and an assist, Ryan O’Reilly also scored and Juuse Saros made 25 saves for Nashville. Ryan McDonagh had two assists.

“It was a thrill,” said Glass, who entered with only two goals this season. “We have a great team here. To be on an eight-game win streak, everybody is pulling on the same rope.”

Nathan MacKinnon scored and Alexandar Georgiev made 31 saves for Colorado, which had its two-game winning streak snapped.

“I thought we were competitive, played hard, really good game for 40 minutes,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “But I’d say third period, it’s like they got better and we got worse in the third.”

Nashville’s eight-game winning streak is tied for the second-longest in franchise history. The Predators won 10 straight from mid-February through early March 2018.

Glass scored the game’s first goal with 4:41 remaining in the opening period. Coming down the right side, Glass passed to Colton Sissons in the right circle, and Sissons slipped it back to Glass in the low slot, where he beat Georgiev for his third goal of the season.

“I like our relentlessness,” Nashville coach Andrew Brunette said. “I think we’re connected. We’re taking away time and space at a high level right now. That comes from work ethic. That comes from trust.”

MacKinnon answered with 2:59 to go in the first, taking advantage of a turnover by Nashville before snapping a wrist shot from the right side high to Saros’ glove side.

MacKinnon has goals in three straight games and points in nine consecutive. He has five goals and 11 assists during that span.

“Every game of the season matters, so the intensity should be there,” Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews said. “We didn’t bring it often enough tonight and they did. Obviously, the game means a lot to them, but it means a lot to us too. That one hurts to lose."

Glass struck again with 5:34 remaining in the second period for the first multigoal game of his career.

Saros gloved down a shot by MacKinnon on a partial breakaway with 26.5 seconds remaining in the second to keep Nashville’s lead at 2-1 as the teams went to the second intermission.

“He has a variety of skills and shot placement he can do, so I was patient there,” Saros said of MacKinnon. “I was trying to wait and see what he was going to do. Fortunately, I was able to save that one.”

O’Reilly scored on the power play at 9:46 of the third, tapping in the rebound of Roman Josi’s shot that bounced off the back boards and to O’Reilly at the right goalpost, where he scored his 13th power-play goal.

Glass completed his hat trick in the game’s final minute with a long-range empty-net goal.

UP NEXT

Avalanche: Host Chicago on Monday night.

Predators: Host Montreal on Tuesday night.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl