Filip Forsberg's dazzling goal against Utah shows why he's Nashville Predators' 'top dog'

When asked to describe Filip Forsberg's spectacular goal Saturday night against Utah, Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros surprisingly likened it to a superstar basketball player.

"It kind of reminded me of Anthony Edwards," Saros said, referencing the Minnesota Timberwolves forward.

Forsberg's score at 11:05 mark of the second period did resemble something you might see from a power forward in the NBA. He made a power move through the Utah defense, beating Nick Schmaltz and Olli Maatta to the inside, then collected the puck and lifted a wrist shot by Connor Ingram, as if it were a layup.

"I'm not the fastest guy in the world," Forsberg said of the play. "But I had a little bit of time to wind up. I was just trying to weave through and find an opening."

That goal, Forsberg's second of the game, gave the Predators a 3-0 lead, but more importantly, they seized control of the game as Utah was fighting back. With the Predators holding a 2-0 lead, Utah began finding holes in the Nashville defense and was threatening to score.

"That was much needed," coach Andrew Brunette said of the goal. "To see (Forsberg) take over the game like that is really big for our group."

The win ended a three-game losing streak for Nashville (5-9-1) and will help it forget Thursday's ugly loss to Florida .

Jonathan Marchessault, who also scored twice in the game, said goals like that are what make Forsberg special.

"You don't realize until you're on the same team, but he's probably one of the best power forwards out there," Marchessault said.

Forsberg, in his 13th season with the Predators, finished with 48 goals last season, breaking the franchise's single-season scoring record. Through 15 games this season, he leads the team with eight goals.

"He's so strong on the puck," Marchessault said. "His shot is one of the best shots I've seen in my life . . . he's our top dog at the forward position."

The Predators begin a five-game road trip next week, starting with the Colorado Avalanche on Monday (8 p.m. CT, FanDuel Sports Network).

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Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at . Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, . Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page .