The Nashville Predators (21-20-4) had a gutsy win over the Washington Capitals (23-17-6) on Sunday night. It was a grind of a win that went until the very end, but goaltender Justus Annunen stopped four shots in the final minute of the third with the Capitals bringing their goaltender out of the cage. The Predators have been on a seesaw, matching every loss with a win in January 2026.
Game Recap
The first period started with a few veterans finding the back of the net. Alex Ovechkin powered one of his legendary shots from the left faceoff dot on a five-on-three power play at 5:56. That was caused by a Roman Josi holding penalty and a delay of game penalty from Michael McCarron flinging a puck over the glass.
That was the only lead the Capitals would have all game. Nashville capitalized on their own power play, with Brandon Duhaime heading to the box for a two-minute holding penalty at 13:03, and Steven Stamkos slapping it in at 13:15.
There were no goals scored in the second period, but there was a highlight-reel save. At about 16:03, Stamkos was charging to the net trying to get a loose puck towards Charlie Lindgren, but Lindgren slid forward to cover it, sending Stamkos flipping in the air.
In the third period, the fun started up again. Nashville scored two straight goals, one from Cole Smith at 1:12, and another on the power play, slapped in by Roman Josi. On the Josi goal, Nashville was on a two-man advantage after both Hendrix Lapierre and John Carlson were charged with penalties.
However, Washington wasn’t done yet. The Capitals took advantage of an Adam Wilsby tripping call at 8:18, and Ethen Frank scored a goal on the power play at 9:03. Annunen needed to be in tip-top shape, up just 3-2 to win the game, and he was. He stopped four shots on goal with the Capitals releasing Lindgren from his crease, paving the way for a Predators victory.
Standings and Schedule
The Predators now have 46 points on the 2025-26 season, and they place fifth in the Central Division, a major improvement from last season. They’re now within two points of a wild card spot in the Western Conference, and with a home game against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday (Jan. 13), followed by away games against the Colorado Avalanche on Friday (Jan. 16) and the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday (Jan. 17), they could show their might.
Related: How Can the Capitals Overcome Recent Injury-Related Deficits?
Meanwhile, the Capitals, with 52 points, missed a chance to catch the Philadelphia Flyers (52 points) for the third spot in the Metropolitan Division. They’re just a point above the playoff line, and with a three-game homestand against the Montreal Canadiens (Tuesday, Jan. 13), San Jose Sharks (Thursday, Jan. 15), and Florida Panthers (Saturday, Jan. 17), they can’t let this opportunity slip away from them.
3 Stars
1st Star: Roman Josi (one goal, two assists, plus-1 plus/minus)
2nd Star: Steven Stamkos (one goal, one assist, even plus/minus)
3rd Star: Cole Smith (one goal, plus-1 plus/minus)
