Filip Forsberg lit the lamp for the 30th time this season, propelling the Nashville Predators to a crucial 3-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken at Bridgestone Arena. This win marks Nashville's first back-to-back triumph since February 2, pulling them even with Seattle for the final Wild Card spot. However, the Kraken hold the tiebreaker with more regulation victories.
The Predators set the tone early when Ryan Ufko found the back of the net with a blistering one-timer from Brady Skjei, putting Nashville up 1-0 in the first period. Ufko's been on a hot streak, notching his fourth point in five games.
Seattle answered back late in the first, with Frederick Gaudreau deftly tipping in a cross-ice pass from Chandler Stephenson, leveling the score.
The second period saw a turning point when Jamie Oleksiak was penalized for interference on Steven Stamkos, giving Nashville a power play. Ryan O'Reilly seized the moment, capitalizing on a Forsberg rebound to make it 2-1 for the Predators.
With just over a minute left in the game, Forsberg sealed the deal with an empty-netter, marking his sixth season with 30 or more goals, and his third consecutive year achieving this milestone.
In a twist, Justus Annunen, stepping in for the day-to-day sidelined Juuse Saros, was stellar between the pipes, stopping 25 of 26 shots. Annunen's start was a surprise, as Saros sustained an upper-body injury during the morning skate. Milwaukee Admirals' Matt Murray was called up in a pinch, arriving mid-game to back up Annunen.
Looking ahead, if both the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks fall in regulation tonight, the Predators will find themselves in a three-way tie for the Wild Card spot. A win against the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday could propel them past the threshold, a testament to their resilience in this playoff race.