RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Nashville Predators finally figured out the NHL's latest overtime format.

It felt good for the Predators when defenseman Mattias Ekholm scored with 1:51 remaining in the overtime session for a 2-1 victory against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night at PNC Arena.

"It obviously hasn't been our best so far," Ekholm said of playing in overtime. "Three-on-3, it's a break somewhere. You have to make something happen."

The Predators (19-13-7) won in an overtime session for the first time in 10 tries this season. They're 3-7 in games extending beyond regulation, the other two wins coming in shootouts.

"We had the puck a little bit more," Predators coach Peter Laviolette said, comparing it to other overtime periods. "We held on to it. We were patient."

Ekholm skated in from the right side and beat Carolina goalie Eddie Lack with the shot, sending the puck high into the net. It was his fifth goal of the season, with two of those in the last three games.

The Hurricanes were caught on a line change in the overtime.

"Ekholm came off the bench ... and we didn't pick him up," said Carolina coach Bill Peters, whose team dipped to 4-6 in post-regulation results.

Left winger Filip Forsberg and defenseman Ryan Ellis were credited with assists on the winning goal.

Center Paul Gaustad's short-handed goal for Nashville tied the game in the second period.

Goalie Pekka Rinne made 27 saves for Nashville, which won for the second time in its last five games.

Only one team in the NHL has more post-regulation losses than the Predators, so in many ways this was a breakthrough.

"Hopefully, we can grab some confidence," Ekholm said. "A win is a win."

More than anything, the Predators are coveting some continuity in their performances. Maybe something good happening in overtime can create a turnaround.

"We've been struggling so badly," defenseman Shea Weber said. "We can talk about it as much as we want."

Center Victor Rask scored for the Hurricanes (16-17-6).

Lack stopped 19 shots.

Scoring chances were limited for both sides.

"It's two very disciplined teams," Ekholm said. "It's tough to get anything going."

In each of the five games that Ekholm has scored this season, he also has picked up an assist in that game.

Peters said the Hurricanes, who won three of their previous four games, didn't sustain enough in the offensive end.

"I thought it was a real even game," Peters said. "There wasn't much room either way. ... It didn't feel like we were as dangerous as we want to be. We didn't have the additional jump we needed."

On the game's first goal, at 8:58 of the first period, Hurricanes center Jeff Skinner took the puck to the net, then Rask was there to clean up the rebound.

That was Rask's first goal on home ice since Nov. 14. He had five goals in between those.

Gaustad produced his first goal of the season when he redirected Ekholm's delivery at 12:35 of the second period. Guastad hadn't scored in his first 29 games.

That marked only the second short-handed goal allowed by the Hurricanes this season. It was the fourth short-handed goal for Nashville.

Later in the second period, Hurricanes center Brad Malone was denied on a short-handed breakaway.

The Hurricanes lost left winger Phillip Di Giuseppe in the second period when he crashed into the boards. He suffered an apparent shoulder and head injuries and was put into the concussion protocol.

NOTES: Hurricanes C Jay McClement missed the game because of illness. That ended his string of 198 consecutive games, dating to October 2013 when he was with the Toronto Maple Leafs. ... Nashville won the only other meeting this season, claiming a 2-1 home decision in the season opener Oct. 8. ... Nashville matched its season high for goals allowed in its previous game, falling 5-1 at Dallas on New Year's Eve. ... Predators C Cody Hodgson was in the lineup after sitting out the past three games. ... Carolina is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of its 2006 Stanley Cup championship with festivities next month. Current Nashville coach Peter Laviolette was the coach of that Hurricanes team. ... The Predators play their only home game in an eight-game stretch Tuesday against Winnipeg. ... Carolina goes on a brief Western swing with games Monday at Edmonton and Wednesday at Vancouver.