In the old game of momentum and will, the Nashville Predators reminded the Bell Centre on Thursday night that a scoreboard is not a verdict. Trailing Montreal 2-0 through two periods, Nashville found something in the third — a redirected puck, a veteran's instinct, a goaltender standing firm against the tide — and walked away with a 5-2 victory that defied the shot clock and the early narrative. For Montreal, three straight losses now shadow what had been a confident stretch; for Nashville, the comeback is a quiet affirmation that resilience, not dominance, often decides who wins.
Predators Rally Past Canadiens 5-2 Behind O'Reilly's Go-Ahead Goal
Outshot 34-18, Nashville still found a way to win
Mark
How does a team get outshot 34-18 and still win by three goals? That seems almost impossible.
Mimi
Goaltending and discipline. Saros made 32 saves—he was the difference. Nashville also didn't panic when they were down 2-0. They stayed composed, took their chances on the power play, and converted them.
Luke
But we should be careful here. Being outshot that badly usually means you got lucky, or your opponent couldn't finish. Montreal had the better game for most of the night. The Predators executed better in the moments that mattered.
Mark
So this wasn't really a dominant performance by Nashville?
Mimi
No. It was a resilient one. They were down 2-0 after two periods. Most teams fold. They didn't. O'Reilly's goal with 3:16 left was the turning point—that's when you could feel the game flip.
Luke
And it came on a power play, which is important context. Nashville got a chance, and they buried it. That's not luck; that's execution. But Montreal also had chances they didn't convert.
Mark
What does this mean for Montreal going forward?
Mimi
They're now winless in three games, which is a concerning trend. They had a five-game winning streak against Nashville before this, so this breaks a pattern. They need to figure out how to close out games.
Luke
The concerning part is that they dominated the shot count and still lost. That suggests either their shot quality was poor or their goaltending let them down. Fowler made 15 saves in his first start of the season—we don't know yet if that's a sign of things to come.
Mark
And Nashville?
Mimi
They proved they can win ugly. That's a valuable trait in hockey. Not every night is going to be pretty, but if you can steal games like this, you're going to win more than you lose.
Luke
True, but one game doesn't make a season. We'll see if this is the start of something or just a good night by Saros.
Der Puls
- Nashville entered the third period down two goals, outshot and outplayed, with the game slipping toward a comfortable Montreal win.
- A pair of late second-period goals — Kerfoot's redirect and Wood's power-play strike with 32 seconds left — jolted the Predators back to life and reset the contest entirely.
- Ryan O'Reilly's redirected power-play goal with 3:16 remaining broke the tie and gave Nashville the lead they would never relinquish.
- Juuse Saros was the quiet engine of the comeback, turning aside 32 of 34 shots and refusing to let Montreal's territorial dominance become points on the board.
- Adam Edstrom's two empty-net goals closed the door, and Montreal's five-game winning streak over Nashville — stretching back to March 2024 — came to an end.
- The Canadiens now carry a three-game winless streak into Saturday's visit from Detroit, while Nashville heads to Ottawa with momentum at their backs.
In the old game of momentum and will, the Nashville Predators reminded the Bell Centre on Thursday night that a scoreboard is not a verdict. Trailing Montreal 2-0 through two periods, Nashville found something in the third — a redirected puck, a veteran's instinct, a goaltender standing firm against the tide — and walked away with a 5-2 victory that defied the shot clock and the early narrative. For Montreal, three straight losses now shadow what had been a confident stretch; for Nashville, the comeback is a quiet affirmation that resilience, not dominance, often decides who wins.
The Nashville Predators walked into the Bell Centre on Thursday night facing a two-goal deficit and left with a 5-2 victory that turned the game's story completely on its head.
Montreal built their lead methodically. Nick Suzuki opened the scoring on four-on-four chaos in the second period, and Alex Newhook doubled the advantage at 8:50, capping a stretch of sustained pressure that had the Predators looking flat and the Canadiens firmly in control.
Then the game shifted. Alexander Kerfoot redirected a point shot from Adam Wilsby to pull one back with under five minutes left in the period. The real turning point came with just 32 seconds remaining in the second, when Matthew Wood tied it on the power play — a goal that seemed to reset the entire contest heading into the final twenty minutes.
The third period belonged to Nashville. Ryan O'Reilly delivered the decisive blow with 3:16 on the clock, redirecting a Roman Josi point shot on the power play 59 seconds after Montreal's Mike Matheson tripped Steven Stamkos. The go-ahead goal held, and Adam Edstrom added two empty-net finishes to seal it.
The numbers told a paradoxical story: Montreal outshot Nashville 34-18, a commanding advantage that never translated. Juuse Saros made 32 saves and kept the Predators alive when the game had no reason to turn. Stamkos, who drew the critical penalty, finished with two assists.
For Montreal, the loss extended a winless streak to three games and ended a five-game run of victories over Nashville dating to March 2024. For the Predators, it was a reminder that games aren't decided by shot totals or early leads — only by who refuses to stop pushing back.
The Nashville Predators walked into the Bell Centre on Thursday night facing a two-goal hole, the kind of deficit that hardens into resignation as the clock winds down. By the final buzzer, they had turned the game inside out, winning 5-2 and leaving Montreal searching for answers after three straight losses.
The Canadiens struck first, building their lead methodically through the second period. Nick Suzuki opened the scoring just over three minutes in, capitalizing on four-on-four chaos in front of the net to slip a backhand past Juuse Saros. Alex Newhook extended the advantage to two goals at the 8:50 mark, finishing a play that came at the end of sustained pressure deep in Nashville territory. Montreal had seized control of the game, and the Predators looked flat.
Then something shifted. Alexander Kerfoot pulled one back with 4:54 left in the period, redirecting a point shot from Adam Wilsby. The momentum swung again when Matthew Wood tied the game on the power play with just 32 seconds remaining in the second—a goal that seemed to reset the entire contest heading into the final twenty minutes.
The third period belonged entirely to Nashville. Ryan O'Reilly, the veteran forward, delivered the decisive blow with 3:16 on the clock. The play came on the power play, 59 seconds after Montreal defenseman Mike Matheson had tripped Steven Stamkos in the neutral zone. O'Reilly redirected a point shot from Roman Josi, and the puck found the back of the net. It was the go-ahead goal, and it held. Adam Edstrom added two empty-net goals to seal the outcome.
The final numbers told a lopsided story in one direction: Montreal outshot Nashville 34-18, a commanding advantage that should have translated to victory. Instead, Saros stood on his head, making 32 saves and keeping the Predators in the game when they had no business being there. Jacob Fowler, starting for the first time this season, stopped 15 shots but couldn't prevent the collapse. Stamkos, who drew the penalty that led to O'Reilly's goal, finished with two assists.
For Montreal, the loss extended a winless streak to three games and snapped a five-game winning streak against Nashville that had stretched back to March 5, 2024. The Canadiens had controlled play for long stretches but couldn't finish when it mattered. For Nashville, the comeback was a statement—a reminder that games aren't decided by shot totals or early leads, but by who has the will to push back when the scoreboard turns against them. Both teams head into Saturday with different trajectories: Ottawa hosts Nashville, while Detroit visits Montreal.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
The game was decided by Nashville's power-play execution and Saros's goaltending, not by shot totals— Game context
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