January 22, 2026 — The Nashville Predators orchestrated a stunning comeback at Bridgestone Arena, erasing a three-goal deficit to defeat the Ottawa Senators 5-3 before 17,159 fans. Steven Stamkos delivered a hat trick to lead the Predators to their 24th victory of the season.
The Senators dominated early, building a 3-0 lead through goals from Stephen Halliday, Ridly Greig, and Brady Tkachuk. However, Stamkos converted a power-play opportunity late in the second period to ignite the comeback, cutting the deficit to 3-1 heading into the final frame.
Goaltending Performance
| Goalie | Team | Decision | Saves | Shots Against | Save % | TOI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juuse Saros | NSH | W | 23 | 26 | .885 | 60:00 |
| James Reimer | OTT | L | 21 | 25 | .840 | 59:14 |
Juuse Saros settled in after the early barrage, making 23 saves to earn the victory. James Reimer struggled in the third period, allowing four goals on nine shots as Nashville stormed back.
Third Period Explosion
The Predators transformed the game with four unanswered goals in the final period. Jonathan Marchessault sparked the rally at 8:19, finishing a passing sequence from Michael Bunting and Luke Evangelista to make it 3-2. Stamkos tied the game less than two minutes later on another power-play conversion, then completed his hat trick at 18:47 with the game-winner. Cole Smith added an empty-netter to seal the victory.
Point Leaders
| Player | Team | Goals | Assists | Points | +/- | Shots | TOI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steven Stamkos | NSH | 3 | 0 | 3 | -1 | 4 | 18:47 |
| Ryan O’Reilly | NSH | 0 | 3 | 3 | +1 | 1 | 22:42 |
| Luke Evangelista | NSH | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 13:35 |
| Brady Tkachuk | OTT | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 1 | 17:17 |
| Jake Sanderson | OTT | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 25:39 |
Ryan O’Reilly orchestrated the offense with three assists while logging over 22 minutes of ice time. The Predators’ power play proved decisive, converting two of three opportunities while Ottawa failed to score on any of their four chances.
The victory improved Nashville’s record to 24-22-4 while Ottawa fell to 23-20-7, strengthening the Predators’ playoff positioning in the Western Conference.
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