Stamkos Delivers Shootout Winner as Predators Beat Lightning
Steven Stamkos scored in regulation and the shootout as Nashville defeated Tampa Bay 5-4 in Nashville on October 31.
The Predators ended a run of five losses in games decided after regulation, beating the Lightning 5-4 in a shootout. Nashville had also lost its previous two games overall. Steven Stamkos tied the score late in the third period, then supplied the shootout’s only goal.
Reid Schaefer opened the scoring for Nashville in the first period, but Tampa Bay’s John Carlson made it 1-1. The teams traded goals early in the second: Jake Guentzel put the Lightning ahead, and Adam Edstrom equalized for the Predators.
Victor Hedman restored Tampa Bay’s lead before Jayden Struble tied the game with 18 seconds left in the period. Conor Geekie scored early in the third to put the Lightning ahead 4-3. Stamkos answered on a Nashville power play at 7:27, his 246th career power-play goal, putting him level with Phil Esposito in sixth place on the league’s all-time list.
Neither team scored again in regulation or overtime. Nashville goaltender Justus Annunen stopped all four Lightning attempts in his first career shootout, while Stamkos scored on Nashville’s fourth attempt. Annunen made 22 saves through regulation and overtime; Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy made 29.
The Predators host Carolina on November 3. Tampa Bay is scheduled to host Detroit that night.