Saros makes 31 saves for 1st shutout, Predators beat Detroit

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Juuse Saros made 31 saves for his first shutout of the season and the Nashville Predators beat the Detroit Red Wings 2-0 on Tuesday night.

Mikael Granlund and Mathieu Olivier scored for Nashville, which has won four of its last five.

Detroit has lost two straight.

The shutout was the 12th of Saros’ career. He has been sharp since coming off of the injured reserve list last Thursday after missing seven games with an upper-body injury. He has allowed just two goals on 120 shots against in the three games since his return.

His best save against the Red Wings came with 11:24 remaining in the second. With Nashville up 1-0 and on a power play, Saros denied Darren Helm on a breakaway.

Granlund scored the game’s first goal at 13:59 of the opening period.

With Nashville on a power play, Eeli Tolvanen slid a pass to Roman Josi in the high slot. Josi sent a one-timer toward Detroit goaltender Thomas Greiss. Standing just outside the crease, Granlund tipped the puck past Greiss on the stick side.

Greiss finished with 32 saves.

Olivier doubled the Nashville lead at 10:41 of the second.

After a scramble in front of the Detroit net, Olivier got the puck on the left side, where he put it in for his second of the season.

POWER PLAY CLICKING

After a slow start to the season, Nashville’s power play has hit its stride of late. The Predators have scored with a man advantage in 11 of 17 games. The catalyst of the power surge is Tolvanen, who has either scored or assisted on eight of the Predators last 12 power-play goals.

Tolvanen, Nashville’s first-round pick in the 2017 draft, has recorded eight (4 goals, 4 assists) of his 13 points this season with the man advantage.

GOOD TO BE HOME

The Predators played their first home game since March 6. Nashville posted a 4-3-1 record on their franchise-long eight-game trip that kept them away from Music City for more than two weeks.

RETURN OF THE CAPTAIN

Josi returned to the Predators lineup Tuesday after missing the last seven games with an upper-body injury. Nashville’s captain last played March 7 in Nashville’s 4-3 shootout victory in Dallas. Josi scored the winning goal in a shootout in that game.

UP NEXT

The Predators and Red Wings return to Bridgestone Arena Thursday night to complete their two-game set.