Nashville Predators outlasted Tampa Bay 5-4 in a shootout Saturday night, fueled by Steven Stamkos' clutch tying goal and shootout winner.
The Halloween showdown in Nashville proved a back-and-forth affair, with the Predators drawing first blood 11 minutes into the first period on a goal from Reid Schaefer, assisted by Alexander Kerfoot and Nick Perbix. Tampa Bay responded quickly, with John Carlson scoring just over two minutes later, assisted by Nikita Kucherov and Charle-Edouard D'Astous. The second period exploded with goals; Jake Guentzel put the Lightning ahead just 18 seconds in, assisted by Carlson and Kucherov, before Adam Edstrom tied it for Nashville 45 seconds later, with Brady Skjei and Perbix assisting. Victor Hedman regained the lead for Tampa Bay just over three minutes into the period, assisted by Kucherov and Brayden Point, but Jayden Struble leveled the score with 18 seconds left in the second, assisted by Adam Wilsby and Filip Forsberg. Conor Geekie put the Lightning up again three and a half minutes into the third, assisted by Jeffrey Viel, only for Steven Stamkos to force the shootout with a power-play goal seven minutes into the third, assisted by Forsberg and Ryan O'Reilly. Stamkos then sealed the victory in the shootout.
Nikita Kucherov was a central figure for Tampa Bay, registering three assists and a +3 rating while logging 23.7 minutes on ice, earning him the second star of the game. John Carlson contributed a goal and an assist, finishing with a +2 rating in 19.2 minutes. For Nashville, Steven Stamkos was named the first star for his crucial power-play goal and the shootout winner, while Adam Edstrom's tying goal secured him the third star. Filip Forsberg and Nick Perbix each provided two assists, influencing multiple scoring plays for the Predators.
momentum.'s analytics model had given the Nashville Predators just a 44% chance to emerge victorious in Saturday's contest, indicating an upset was brewing. The model's pick, therefore, proved incorrect as the Predators navigated a high-scoring affair to secure the 5-4 shootout triumph. Despite the Lightning's potent offense led by Kucherov, Nashville found a way to capitalize on key opportunities, especially the late power-play goal that ultimately changed the game's outcome.
