NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Steven Stamkos stole the spotlight by netting his 14th career hat trick, scoring at 2:39 of overtime to lead the Nashville Predators to a 3-2 triumph over the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night.
Key to the Predators’ third consecutive victory was goaltender Justus Annunen, who made 17 critical saves. Ilya Mikheyev and Alex Vlasic were on the scoresheet for the Blackhawks; meanwhile, Arvid Soderblom kept them competitive throughout with an impressive 38 saves.
The match kicked off with Vlasic putting Chicago ahead barely two minutes into the second period. However, Chicago’s advantage was short-lived, as a penalty for high-sticking against Alec Martinez paved way for Stamkos to swiftly level the score just 15 seconds into the power play. Stamkos continued his fine form, propelling Nashville into a lead after approximately 10 minutes.
Mikheyev was on hand to equalize for the Blackhawks with only 7:38 left on the clock.
For the Predators, the victory marked a strong streak with six wins out of their last 10 games. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks have experienced a challenging run, engaging in their third consecutive overtime and facing their seventh defeat in their last 10 matches, with a considerable tally of 3-4-3.
The match’s pivotal moment arrived when Stamkos sealed the win through a one-timer from the left circle following a delicate no-look pass by Fedor Svechkov during overtime. This marked Stamkos’s first hat trick since joining the Predators in the offseason.
Notably, the Predators dominated with their shooting prowess, outshooting the Blackhawks by a significant margin of 41-19.
Looking ahead, the Blackhawks will travel to Colorado on Monday, while the Predators are set to face off against the San Jose team on Tuesday.
