Red Wings outlast Preds to win season opener

Tyler Bertuzzi had two goals and two assists and the visiting Detroit Red Wings won their season opener by downing the Nashville Predators 5-3 on Saturday. Anthony Mantha supplied a goal and two assists, while Dylan Larkin and Luke Glendening each added a goal and an assist for the Red Wings. Jimmy Howard made 39 saves.

Mattias Ekholm had a goal and an assist for Nashville. Viktor Arvidsson and Filip Forsberg contributed the other Predators goals while Juuse Saros made 23 saves. After a scoreless first 10 minutes, Detroit scored twice in 71 seconds to take a 2-0 lead at the end of one period.

Bertuzzi got the Wings on the board first, as Mantha brought the puck into Nashville's zone and dropped it off to Larkin, who shoveled a circle-to-circle pass to Bertuzzi. The shot deflected off a Predator defenseman's stick and into the goal. Moments later, Mantha weaved his way around four Nashville players and backhanded the puck past Saros.

An apparent Nashville goal less than 30 seconds later was disallowed after a Red Wings challenge because Forsberg interfered with Howard. Nonetheless, Nashville roared back with two goals in the second period.

With Mantha in the penalty box for interference, Arvidsson scored his second goal of the season. Matt Duchene -- whom Mantha interfered with -- set Arvidsson up with a backhanded pass. Forsberg beat Howard on the short side with a low shot at 12:58 of the period to tie the score.

At 4:02 of the third period, Larkin put Detroit back on top. Mantha chased the puck down behind the Nashville goal, skated toward the point and passed it to Larkin, who one-timed it past Saros. The Predators came right back with a goal 46 seconds later. Howard stopped a shot by Kyle Turris but Ekholm fired in the rebound.

Detroit regained the lead at 9:24 when Valtteri Filppula stole the puck in his own zone and moved it to Glendening, who skated to the right circle and flipped a shot over Saros' left shoulder. Bertuzzi scored an empty-net goal with 1:02 left to clinch Detroit's win.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)