The Nashville Predators had a 4-2 lead and still walked out of Toronto empty-handed.
That’s the kind of night that stings long after the final horn. Nashville came out sharp in its road debut against a loaded Maple Leafs group, built a three-goal cushion in the second period, and even answered Toronto’s push to regain a two-goal edge. But the game unraveled late, with the Leafs scoring twice in the second and then getting the winner in overtime for a 5-4 victory.
Steven Stamkos and Nils Hoglander did plenty to put Nashville in position to win. Stamkos scored twice, including the goal that made it 4-2, while Hoglander buried two of his own in a breakout performance. For a while, the Predators looked like the team with the better edge and the cleaner finish.
Then Toronto’s stars took over. Gavin McKenna scored his first career goal with 29 seconds left in the second period, and Jack Roslovic tied it in the third at 8:54 with his first goal in a Toronto Maple Leafs uniform. Auston Matthews finished the comeback with 14 seconds left in overtime, putting in the game-winner to seal the 5-4 result.
The No. 1 picks had their fingerprints all over this one. On Toronto’s side, McKenna finished with a goal and an assist, John Tavares scored, and Matthews piled up a goal and three assists. Nashville got its own heavy lift from Stamkos, who now has two goals in the game and is averaging a goal per game.
Hoglander was the other major storyline for the Predators. He scored twice, giving him three goals through the first three games, and it was his first multi-goal game since March 23, 2024.
He also hadn’t scored in back-to-back games since Feb. 10 and Feb. 13, 2024.
For Nashville, this was the kind of night that suggests he may be operating in a different gear.
Still, the collapse came on the back end. Brady Skjei had several plays where it looked like he was defending thin air.
Nick Perbix, Nicholas Hague, and Adam Wilsby all had rough moments. Roman Josi had an unusually poor night, while Jack Achan was the one notable positive on the blue line.
The issues weren’t limited to defensemen. Alex Kerfoot finished minus-2, and Jonathan Marchessault, Ross Colton, and Jack Drury all took penalties that hurt the Predators. Drury’s hooking call directly led to a Toronto goal.
Juuse Saros was strong despite the .865 save percentage. He made a huge stop in overtime on a 3-on-0 chance, but even that couldn’t cover for Nashville’s problems in its own zone. Brunette didn’t sugarcoat it afterward.
“I thought we weren’t quite battle-ready on the puck,” said Brunette. “It’s early in the season, but we’re not in a luxury to wait on this. We lost too many puck battles.”
Nashville stays on the road for two more games, visiting the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday, Oct. 8, and the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 10.
Then the Predators return home for three straight against the Vegas Golden Knights on Oct. 13, the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 15, and the St. Louis Blues on Oct.
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