Predators Fall in OT Thriller to Wild, 6-5: Defensive Lapses Overshadow Offensive Fireworks
Another night, another 6-5 game for the Nashville Predators - but this time, they were on the wrong end of it. Despite a flurry of offense and a spirited comeback, the Preds dropped a heartbreaker in overtime to the Minnesota Wild at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday. It’s the second straight game Nashville has played to a 6-5 scoreline, and while the offense is humming, the defensive leaks are becoming harder to ignore.
Let’s break it down.
A Rocky Start That Set the Tone
The game was barely two minutes old when Matt Boldy got behind the Predators’ defense for a breakaway and buried the opener. That early lapse proved to be a sign of things to come. Boldy wasn’t done - he added another just minutes later to put Minnesota up 2-0 before the Predators could settle in.
It was a tough start for Juuse Saros, who faced a heavy workload all night, stopping 37 of 43 shots. But as captain Roman Josi and others pointed out postgame, the team didn’t do their netminder any favors.
“Our start was not great, especially leaving [Saros] out to dry because he's the backbone of our team,” said Jonathan Marchessault. “To win hockey games, you’ve got to keep the puck out of your net, and as a team, we’re having a hard time doing that right now.”
Power Play Sparks the Comeback
Down 2-0, Nashville got a jolt from Filip Forsberg, who cashed in on the power play just ten seconds into the man advantage. That goal extended Forsberg’s streak to four straight games with a tally - five total in that stretch - and gave the Preds some much-needed momentum.
Still, the Wild wouldn’t go away. Boldy completed his hat trick early in the second period after a fortunate bounce off Nick Blankenburg’s skate found its way past Saros. It was one of two own-goals on the night for the Predators - the kind of bad puck luck that can swing tight games.
But Nashville kept punching back. Steven Stamkos, who continues to be a force on the power play, tied things up with his 28th goal of the season, just 25 seconds into another man advantage. That goal also moved him past Mario Lemieux for seventh all-time in power-play goals with 237 - a milestone that speaks volumes about his sustained excellence.
Erik Haula followed that up with a late-period equalizer, and just like that, a wild first period ended with the scoreboard knotted at 3-3.
Trading Blows in the Second and Third
The Predators came out flying in the second. Luke Evangelista gave Nashville its first lead of the night just 41 seconds in, sniping home a shot that added to his growing career-high point total.
But again, the Wild responded - and again, it came via an own goal. Former Pred Yakov Trenin was credited with the tying goal after another unfortunate bounce off a Nashville stick. That made it 4-4 heading into the third, setting the stage for a tense finish.
Vladimir Tarasenko gave Minnesota the lead once more with a slapshot that deflected off Blankenburg - his second redirected goal of the night - and past Saros. But Roman Josi answered right back just 34 seconds later, wiring home his 11th of the season to tie it at 5-5 and send the game to overtime.
Overtime Heartbreak
In the extra frame, it was Jared Spurgeon who ended it for Minnesota, finishing off a back-and-forth contest and sealing the Wild’s fifth straight win.
Afterward, Josi reflected on the rollercoaster nature of the game: “Back and forth game, and I thought we did some really good things. Had some phases where we played really well and some where we didn’t. Obviously, we wish we’re on the other side at the end, but that’s a really good team and we went back and forth with them.”
What’s Next for Nashville?
Head coach Andrew Brunette echoed a similar sentiment - pleased with the offensive execution, but aware that the team’s defensive structure needs tightening.
“I’m happy the guys are scoring. I’m happy they feel good... that they believe we can come back in any situation,” Brunette said.
“Those are all great character-building traits. We’re going to have to tighten up here a little bit.”
And he’s right. The Predators are showing resilience and firepower, but if they want to stay in the playoff hunt, they’ll need to clean up the defensive zone - fast.
Nashville wraps up this stretch of hockey with a road matchup against the Washington Capitals tonight. With the offense clicking and belief in the locker room, the pieces are there. Now it’s about putting it all together.