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As of Saturday, the Nashville Predators stand alone as the only team in the NHL to have suffered four overtime losses. In just 11 games this season, more than a third of their contests have extended beyond regulation, and each has ended with the opposing team celebrating.
With a record of 3-3-4, Nashville has accumulated only 10 points, placing them in the bottom seven of the league standings. The four overtime defeats have cost them four potential points—points that could have positioned them among the league's top performers.
Consistency has been elusive for the Predators, except for the repeated brilliance of goaltender Juuse Saros. Yet, the team has consistently faltered in close games, often wasting Saros's standout performances.
Game-by-Game Breakdown
Maple Leafs, Oct. 6: In their first road game and first overtime appearance of the season, the Predators jumped out to a 3-0 lead midway through the second period. However, Toronto stormed back with three unanswered goals to tie the game in the third. The momentum carried into overtime, where Auston Matthews scored with just 14 seconds remaining to steal the win.
Senators, Oct. 10: What looked like Nashville's most complete effort early on—powered by first-period goals from Ross Colton and Jonathan Marchessault—quickly turned precarious. Ottawa clawed back, tying the game with a extra-attacker goal with 1:23 left in regulation. Backup goaltender Matt Murray held firm through overtime, but the Predators fell in a shootout. Ryan O'Reilly scored in the shootout, but Tim Stutzle and Shane Pinto answered for Ottawa.
Sharks, Oct. 15: For the first time, Nashville played overtime at home, but the Bridgestone Arena crowd couldn't propel them to victory. Unlike their previous overtime games, the Predators had to play catch-up against San Jose. Trailing by two in the third, Steven Stamkos tied the game with one second left in regulation to force overtime. However, Macklin Celebrini scored the only goal of the shootout to dash Nashville's comeback hopes.
Penguins, Oct. 24: The most recent loss might be the most deflating. A first-period goal from Stamkos and a quick response from Jayden Struble after a defensive miscue had Nashville ahead. The lead held until the final minutes, when Pittsburgh pulled its goaltender and Rickard Rakell scored off a Sidney Crosby assist with 1:06 remaining. In overtime, Ville Koivunen beat Saros—who had made 34 saves—with 1:16 left to seal Pittsburgh's 3-2 win.
Key Analysis
The pattern is clear: Nashville struggles to close out games. While blowing a lead occasionally is forgivable, doing so repeatedly—to the point where overtime losses outnumber regulation wins—is unacceptable. The Predators are bleeding points and need to find a solution quickly. They'll have little time to dwell on the latest defeat, as they host the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday at 7 p.m. at Bridgestone Arena to close out a back-to-back.