On Tuesday at Bridgestone Arena, the struggling Nashville Predators, who currently sit last in the standings, faced off against the top-ranked Colorado Avalanche. Despite Nashville’s recent heavy loss to Carolina and Colorado’s impressive run of winning 14 of their past 16 games, the contest turned into a thrilling back-and-forth. The Avalanche managed to force overtime in the closing minutes, but Ryan O’Reilly clinched the shootout victory for Nashville with the only goal, leading to a surprising 4-3 upset.
Jonathan Marchessault kicked off the scoreline with a power-play goal to tie the game, shortly followed by Reid Schaefer’s second career goal, giving the Predators a 2-1 edge. Later, Brady Skjei added his first goal of the season in the third period, pushing Nashville ahead 3-2. Here are three key insights from the Predators’ win over the Avalanche:
Like their previous match on November 22, Nashville conceded an early goal within the first two minutes. However, unlike that game where they fell behind quickly, Nashville quickly bounced back this time, scoring twice within less than two minutes to turn the momentum. They maintained strong pressure throughout the first period, matching up well against the elite Avalanche, who ended the period tied but seemingly less dominant.
Significantly, Nashville avoided penalties in the first period and capitalized on two power plays—quite a turnaround from the 12 penalties they had in their last two games combined. Despite being outshot heavily in the second period (13-5), goaltender Juuse Saros shone bright, making 39 saves out of 42 shots, including saving all attempts in the shootout against top Avalanche scorers like Martin Necas and Gabriel Landeskog. Saros’s performance was crucial in keeping Nashville competitive.
A costly penalty late in the game nearly cost the Predators the win, as Colorado pulled their goalie for a 6-on-4 advantage and tied the score with only eight seconds remaining after a sharp shot from Cale Makar. Despite Nashville’s penalty kill unit being exceptional—allowing just two power-play goals across three games—the power play opportunities still pose a threat, as seen in this game’s dramatic finish.
Nashville’s victory is a testament to resilience and strong goaltending and could be a pivotal moment for the team as they look to improve their standing. Their upcoming match against the St. Louis Blues at Bridgestone Arena will be one to watch closely.
Fan Take: This unexpected win by Nashville shows that even the underdogs can shake up the status quo, reminding hockey fans that every game matters. It highlights the sport’s thrilling unpredictability and showcases how leadership and perseverance can change a team’s trajectory.
