Takeaways From Predators 3-2 Shootout Loss vs. Sharks

The Nashville Predators (2-2-3) came very close to defeating the San Jose Sharks (4-3-0). This season, they’ve shown a tendency to blow leads, as they did against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators last week, but unfortunately, a slow start was the culprit in this 3-2 shootout loss.

Game Recap

The first period was all Sharks. Mason Marchment scored the first goal on a great feed from Tyler Toffoli at 5:30, drawing first blood. The Sharks came close to scoring another in the second, including a great shot from Will Smith at 16:34, but Juuse Saros was a brick wall, and San Jose held a 1-0 lead heading into the third.

Smith finally converted at 4:28 of the third period on a wrist shot to make it 2-0. However, the Sharks let up in the final few minutes, and the Predators capitalized. At 9:05, with the Predators on a power play, Jonathan Marchessault ripped it from the far slot, and Ryan O’Reilly tipped it in to make it 2-1.

Then came the play of the game. Nashville pressed with San Jose’s goalie pulled, and Steven Stamkos finally converted. He released a wrist shot from the far side before the final buzzer to tie it at two and force the game into overtime.

Both goaltenders made spectacular saves in overtime, forcing a shootout. The Predators sent out O’Reilly and Filip Forsberg, but neither converted. Sharks captain Macklin Celebrini played the hero, dangling and then knocking it through. Alex Nedeljkovic stopped Ross Colton’s shootout attempt to give the San Jose Sharks a 3-2 win.

Stamkos in the Clutch

Stamkos has delivered in multiple clutch moments throughout his career. In this game, he did it again. He had the game-tying goal at the buzzer to send the game into overtime.

He made NHL history with that goal, becoming the first NHL player to score two game-tying goals in the last second of regulation. He did it against the Minnesota Wild on Nov. 4, 2025, with 0.3 seconds remaining. Unfortunately, the Predators lost both games.

Nashville Hasn’t Been Great 5-on-5

The Predators haven’t done well at even strength, relying more on their power play. They have scored 18 goals in seven games, which ranks 25th in the NHL. In both of the Predators’ two wins this season, they needed two power-play goals to clinch the victory. They have yet to earn a point in a game when the power play doesn’t click.

“We’re struggling five-on-five to produce,” Stamkos told reporters after the game. “We need special teams to be really good for our group…It just feels like we’re not producing a ton of chances, and sometimes we do and don’t execute. Not a ton of odd-man rushes either. We’ve gotta find a way.”

Cold Streak for Forsberg

Another thing lost in the chaos: superstar winger Forsberg still hasn’t scored his first goal of the season. He has six assists in seven games and 13 shots in his last two games, but he’s come up short so far.

“He’s working…you always worry a little bit. He’s gotta be wary of the frustration level. That’s something we have to be mindful of because sometimes frustration brings you two different ways, and I have to be mindful that we need to be in the more positive way than the negative way and where he gets down on himself.

“I thought he tried. He put big effort in. He had some good looks. It’s just that everything’s not quite in rhythm as it normally is. I’ve been around him long enough to know that one goes in and he usually takes off,” head coach Andrew Brunette said.

The Ross Colton Dilemma

Then came the shootout situation. The Predators used Forsberg, O’Reilly, and Stamkos in their last shootout against the Senators. Last night, instead of Stamkos, they used Colton as the third shooter. He went in with a 50% success rate, converting five of10 attempts, but it was a curious decision, especially since Stamkos had forced overtime earlier.

Brunette cited recent shootout success as the reason he chose Colton. “We looked at it numbers-wise. I mean, (Colton’s) had success,” Brunette said. “I think he’s a different type of shooter. (Stamkos) the last stretch of (shootout) games hasn’t been able to get one. We thought we’d throw something different at them just to kind of give it a different look. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. But we believe in the numbers, and we believe we saw it could have been an opportunity to maybe catch them off guard.”

Standings/Schedule

The Predators fell to seventh in the Central Division with seven points on the season. They’re one point out of a playoff spot, behind the Anaheim Ducks who hold the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with eight points. The San Jose Sharks, meanwhile, are tied with the Ducks.

Nashville concludes their homestand against their division rivals, the St. Louis Blues, on Saturday, Oct. 17. They then hit the road to face the Boston Bruins on Thursday, Oct. 22, and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, Oct. 24, before returning home to host the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday, Oct. 25.