NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In a thrilling comeback, the Nashville Predators broke their six-game losing streak by defeating the New York Islanders 7-6 in a dramatic overtime face-off on Tuesday night. The game-winning goal came just 1 minute and 56 seconds into overtime, courtesy of Fedor Svechkov.
Nashville’s offensive prowess was showcased with Steven Stamkos contributing two goals and two assists, while Filip Forsberg added a goal and an assist to the scoreboard. Ryan O’Reilly and Michael McCarron also found the back of the net for the Predators. Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei each chipped in with three assists, and Justus Annunen made 16 crucial saves.
On the opposing side, Simon Holmstrom led the charge for the Islanders, notching two goals and two assists. Teammates Maxim Tsyplakov, Anders Lee, Kyle Palmieri, and Scott Mayfield also added goals. Jean-Gabriel Pageau was instrumental with three assists in support of the New York effort. Ilya Sorokin, New York’s goaltender, stopped 19 shots over two periods before exiting due to an apparent injury. Marcus Hogberg stepped in, registering six saves on nine attempts.
The decisive moment of the game came during extra time when Svechkov capitalized from the slot to seal the victory against Hogberg. Earlier, Palmieri had given the Islanders a 5-4 advantage by netting a backhander with only 4 minutes and 39 seconds on the clock, which was followed by Mayfield’s short-handed goal that expanded the lead.
Stamkos ignited the Predators’ rally with his second power-play goal of the evening, narrowing the gap with just over two minutes remaining. Then, Bunting equalized the game at 6-6 with mere seconds left in regulation.
Among the game’s highlights, during the second period, Holmstrom’s second goal briefly handed the Islanders a lead. Stamkos quickly responded to level the scores once again. Tsyplakov and McCarron traded goals in the latter part of the period, continuing the back-and-forth scoring saga.
As a recap of team standings, the Islanders find themselves in a playoff race, tied with the Rangers, Red Wings, and Blue Jackets, each with 79 points, and five games left to play. Meanwhile, Nashville, despite being out of the playoff contention, secured a morale-boosting victory, their third in 14 outings.
The critical juncture of the match occurred in the dying seconds of regulation, as Stamkos’ shot from the left point deflected off teammates and Islanders defense, concluding in a six-all stalemate and paving the way for overtime.
The consistent performance by Stamkos marked his 14th power-play goal of the season, placing him alongside league names such as Brady Tkachukk and Tomas Hertl.
Coming up next, the Islanders are set to face the New York Rangers on Thursday, while the Predators prepare for a visit to Utah.