The Nashville Predators emerged victorious in a back-and-forth battle against the Chicago Blackhawks, securing a 3-2 shootout win on Thursday night at Bridgestone Arena. Steven Stamkos played hero for the Predators, opening the scoring with a power-play goal and sealing the victory with the decisive shootout tally.
The win improves Nashville’s record to 15-22-7 on the season, as they continue their push to climb the standings. A crowd of 17,159 fans witnessed an entertaining contest that required extra time to determine a winner.
Stamkos started things for the Predators in the first period, converting on the power play at 8:07 with assists from Roman Josi and Jonathan Marchessault. The goal was Stamkos’ 15th of the season, as he continues to provide the offensive punch Nashville hoped for when acquiring him.
The Blackhawks, led by their young star Connor Bedard, stormed back in the second period with two quick goals. Bedard netted his 13th of the season at 6:30, followed by Alec Martinez’s second goal of the year just 87 seconds later, temporarily silencing the Bridgestone Arena crowd.
However, Filip Forsberg wouldn’t let Nashville go quietly. The veteran forward notched his 13th goal of the season with just over three minutes remaining in regulation, setting the stage for extra time. Nick Blankenburg earned the lone assist on the crucial tying goal.
After a scoreless overtime, the teams headed to a shootout where Nashville’s skill players shined. Gustav Nyquist and Ryan O’Reilly both converted their attempts before Stamkos stepped up to clinch the victory. Juuse Saros was solid in net, stopping 24 of 26 shots through overtime and denying Bedard’s shootout attempt to preserve the win.
The Predators dominated possession throughout the night, outshooting Chicago 41-26 and controlling much of the play at even strength. Roman Josi led all skaters with 31:25 of ice time, while Filip Forsberg peppered the Blackhawks’ net with a team-high seven shots on goal.
Source: Powered by Ai.
More Sports News
Subscribe to our Newsletter!
