For the first time in a month, the Nashville Predators have secured consecutive victories. On Friday, they triumphed over the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 at Chicago’s United Center, thanks to goals from Luke Evangelista and Ryan O’Reilly.
This marks the Predators’ first back-to-back wins since October 25th and their first time this season winning consecutive games in regulation time. Although Nashville started the game sluggishly, with Ryan Donato giving Chicago an early 1-0 lead, rookie Matthew Wood quickly leveled the score with his seventh goal of the season, assisted by Nick Haig.
Steven Stamkos then capitalized on a puck steal from Nick Blankenburg, scoring a backhand goal to put Nashville ahead 2-1. Blankenburg had scored three goals across two games. Ryan Greene tied the game with a power play goal, but Evangelista responded in the final five minutes of the period, scoring off a Stamkos rebound to secure a 3-2 lead. Stamkos’ performance has notably improved, rising from three points in 21 games to four points in just two.
In the third period, O’Reilly netted his second goal, assisted by Evangelista who finished the game with two points. Teuvo Teravainen scored for Chicago later, but it was insufficient to equalize. The Stamkos, Evangelista, and Riley line combined for 10 minutes of ice time and six shots.
Nashville edged out Chicago 29-27 in shots, holding a 62.9% shot rate. They had difficulty breaking into the penalty area with 10 minutes left until Chicago’s penalty expired six minutes later. Nashville went 0-for-2 on the power play but defended well on the penalty kill, succeeding on 3-of-4 attempts.
Goalie Juuse Saros earned the victory, making 24 saves on 27 shots for a .889 save percentage, marking his sixth win this season.
Next up, the Winnipeg Jets (12-11-0) will face the Nashville Predators (8-12-4) on November 29th at 6:00 PM CT at Bridgestone Arena.
Fan Take: This win is a crucial morale boost for Nashville, demonstrating their potential to string together wins and compete at a higher level. Hockey fans should watch closely as the Predators’ momentum could signal a turning point for their season and intensify competition in the league.
