Steven Stamkos, formerly the captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning, scored the decisive goal in the shootout as the Nashville Predators rallied to a 5-4 victory over Tampa Bay on Saturday afternoon at Bridgestone Arena. Stamkos tied the game at 4-4 with a power-play goal in the third period and later secured the win by scoring on a backhand shot in the fourth round of the shootout.

The tying goal came at 7:27 of the third period, when Stamkos capitalized on a power play to extend the contest into overtime. Despite multiple opportunities, the game remained tied through the extra period, marking Nashville’s first overtime appearance of the season. The Predators have now secured their first overtime win in six tries this season, thanks in part to a strong defensive effort in the shootout.

Nashville goaltender Justus Annunen was perfect in his first-ever shootout attempt, stopping all four Tampa Bay shooters, including Stamkos and other notable forwards. Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy registered 29 saves on the night but was unable to stop Stamkos in the shootout’s crucial round.

Offensively, the Predators saw contributions from Reid Schaefer, Adam Edstrom, and Jayden Struble, each of whom scored during regulation play. Nick Perbix and Filip Forsberg both recorded two assists apiece. The synergy among key players helped Nashville mount the comeback after trailing earlier in the game.

The game was part of a busy NHL slate whose other results included a 5-4 overtime win by the Boston Bruins over the Chicago Blackhawks, a 5-4 victory for the Montreal Canadiens against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and several other tightly contested matches. Individual milestones were also celebrated, including Patrice Bergeron surpassing his franchise’s all-time goal records and Sidney Crosby breaking the franchise assist record with the Pittsburgh Penguins.