NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Steven Stamkos beat his old team twice on Saturday afternoon at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, scoring the tying power-play goal late in regulation and then the lone shootout goal as the Predators edged the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-4.
The victory snapped a two-game skid and was the first for Nashville in six games this season that went past 60 minutes.
The Predators had to rally three separate times. Reid Schaefer opened the scoring at 11:14 of the first period with his first goal of the year, Adam Edstrom pulled Nashville even at 2-2 early in the second, and defenseman Jayden Struble tied it 3-3 before the second intermission.
Tampa Bay moved back in front in the third, but Stamkos, the former Lightning captain, knocked in his own rebound on the power play at 7:27. It was his 246th career power-play goal, which ties Phil Esposito for sixth in league history.
Overtime settled nothing. Goaltender Justus Annunen, playing in the first shootout of his career, turned away all four Tampa Bay shooters, and Stamkos supplied the only goal of the tiebreaker. Annunen made 22 saves before the shootout.
Filip Forsberg and Nick Perbix had two assists apiece, and Forsberg now has multiple points in four straight games. Nikita Kucherov set up three Tampa Bay goals a day after reports that he had asked to be traded, and Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 29 shots.
Nashville closes its five-game homestand Tuesday night against the Carolina Hurricanes, the defending Stanley Cup champions, at Bridgestone Arena.
Section: More Nashville TN sports news
Nashville sports business profiles
Filed under: Nashville TN Sports News
