March 29, 2026 — Nashville had the right answer after Tampa Bay struck twice in 20 seconds early in the third, but the Predators couldn’t complete the comeback, dropping a 3-2 decision to the Lightning at Benchmark International Arena.
Nashville broke through in the second period when Joakim Kemell tipped home his first NHL goal at 8:31, assisted by Filip Forsberg and Justin Barron. Tampa Bay answered at 13:32 via Jake Guentzel to level it heading into the third.
Goaltending
| Goalie | DEC | GA | SA | SV | SV% | SO | TOI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justus Annunen (NSH) | L | 3 | 28 | 25 | .893 | 0 | 58:54 |
| Jonas Johansson (TBL) | W | 2 | 31 | 29 | .935 | 0 | 60:00 |
Justus Annunen made 25 saves but couldn’t stop the Lightning’s third-period burst. Jonas Johansson was sharp throughout, turning aside 29 of 31 shots for the win.
Special teams and possession
Nashville went 0-for-3 on the power play while Tampa Bay finished 0-for-3 as well. The Predators held a slight edge in shot attempts at 5-on-5 but were outpaced in dangerous chance generation, with Guentzel and Brayden Point driving Tampa’s attack at a high rate.
Point scorers
| Player | G | A | PTS | +/- | SOG | Type | TOI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filip Forsberg (NSH) | 1 | 1 | 2 | +2 | 4 | EV | 19:37 |
| Joakim Kemell (NSH) | 1 | 0 | 1 | +2 | 2 | EV | 8:16 |
| Justin Barron (NSH) | 0 | 1 | 1 | +2 | 1 | EV | 14:22 |
| Fedor Svechkov (NSH) | 0 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 2 | EV | 14:55 |
| Adam Wilsby (NSH) | 0 | 1 | 1 | +2 | 1 | EV | 14:57 |
| Jake Guentzel (TBL) | 1 | 2 | 3 | +3 | 3 | EV | 18:46 |
| Brandon Hagel (TBL) | 1 | 0 | 1 | +1 | 5 | EV | 22:20 |
| Corey Perry (TBL) | 1 | 0 | 1 | +2 | 2 | EV | 12:59 |
| Darren Raddysh (TBL) | 0 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 1 | EV | 23:51 |
| Charle-Edouard D’Astous (TBL) | 0 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 0 | EV | 15:52 |
| Emil Martinsen Lilleberg (TBL) | 0 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 1 | EV | 17:34 |
Forsberg’s 34th goal of the season came 20 seconds after Hagel put Tampa ahead, pulling Nashville within one. Guentzel paced the Lightning with a three-point night, scoring once and setting up both Tampa Bay third-period goals.
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