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How Nashville Predators' Filip Forsberg is becoming the elite offensive threat the franchise has lacked

Filip Forsberg's stitched-up snout, the one just above the Nashville Predators forward's meticulously manicured handlebar mustache, is about healed.

"Visor," he said with a shrug.

He was speaking of the cut's culprit as he disappeared down a Bridgestone Arena hallway leading to the home locker room before Saturday night's victory against the Washington Capitals.

The wound lives on the bridge of his nose and isn't easy on the eyes.

Forsberg's play is another story, though he diagnosed it as "day to day."

And what a day many of those days have been.

Twenty hours before a sub-five-minute pregame conversation with a reporter Saturday, Forsberg was in an arena far, far away — 533.3 miles, according to Google maps — scoring his third overtime goal of the season in a victory against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Filip Forsberg continues to add name to Predators record books

The feat occurred 33 seconds into the extra period and marked the third time this season Forsberg has scored an overtime winner less than a minute into OT. It marked the second game in a row he did it.

In the process, the Predators' all-time leading goal scorer became the fourth player in NHL history — history — to score opening-minute overtime goals in consecutive games. He also became the fourth player with three opening-minute OT goals in a season, joining the Chicago Blackhawks' Jonathan Toews (2019-20), the Edmonton Oilers' Leon Draisaitl (2018-19) and the Boston Bruins' Brad Marchand (2017-18).

"I am obviously playing with some confidence," he said in the understatement of the season.

Forsberg threw credit to his linemates, Ryan O'Reilly and Gustav Nyquist. Rambled on about they "have a chance to make a difference" every time they're out there and how they're "pretty solid defensively," too.

True, all of it.

But back to Forsberg.

On Thursday, in front of Philadelphia Phillies superstar Bryce Harper, he needed just 18 seconds to dispose of the Philadelphia Flyers in overtime. On Nov. 28, only 14 seconds were necessary to spell the overtime end for the Pittsburgh Penguins in Predators announcer Pete Weber's 2,000th broadcast with the team.

If that's not enough, on Dec. 5, Forsberg finished off the Chicago Blackhawks when he punctuated a perfect Predators shootout. It was the first time in history the team's first three attempts were enough to clinch a win and put Forsberg in the Predators record books again, this time as the franchise's all-time shootout goal leader with 10.

Andrew Brunette: 'Fil does what Fil does'

Forsberg needed 65 seconds combined to win those three overtime games.

First-year Predators coach Andrew Brunette needed about two seconds to put it in a nutshell.

"Fil does what Fil does," Brunette said after the Flyers victory.

What Fil's doing is further cementing his status in franchise lore. What he's doing is giving the Predators something they've never really had -- a truly feared goal scorer.

What he doing is living up to the eight-year, $64 million contract extension he signed in July 2022, a dollar figure he said hasn't added any pressure.

"I always put that pressure on myself," he said. "I always knew what I was capable of and, obviously, I haven't been able to live up to that expectation always, but I feel like that's something that comes with maturity, just kind of handling that internal pressure a little bit better and whatever's going on on the outside doesn't bother me too much."

Filip Forsberg on Predators: 'I don't think we've hit our ceiling'

What went on on the outside earlier this year, during the first year of Forsberg's extension, was cause for some pause.

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For the first time in a long time the Predators were sellers at the trade deadline -- Mattias Ekholm, Nino Niedereitter, Tanner Jeannot and Mikael Granlund were dealt. After a playoff push fell short, coach John Hynes was fired.

David Poile, the only general manager the Predators ever knew, retired.

None of it anything Forsberg signed up for.

"You never know," he said. "It's not like you have a clue what's going on. You always wonder a little bit what's going to happen. The offseason was eventful for us, probably the most eventful I've had.

"That comes with the business."

And business has been good for the Predators.

After Saturday's victory against the Washington Capitals, the team's fourth in a row and 13th in their past 16, the Predators found themselves still firmly in the first wild card spot in the Western Conference.

In the past month, the Predators have the most points and wins in the league. They've gone from 5-10-0 to 18-13-0. From 29th overall in the league to 13th.

"I don't think we've hit our ceiling yet," Forsberg said.

Meanwhile, Forsberg's fortitude continues to leave chins on the floor.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How Predators' Filip Forsberg has become NHL's No. 1 overtime threat