December 4, 2025 — Steven Stamkos delivered the decisive blow in overtime as the Nashville Predators escaped Amerant Bank Arena with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over the Florida Panthers. The veteran center’s game-winner at 4:03 of the extra frame capped a resilient performance that saw Nashville erase a third-period deficit to snap a difficult stretch and improve to 10-13-4 on the season.
The Predators found themselves trailing after Carter Verhaeghe opened the scoring late in the first period, converting passes from Sam Bennett and A.J. Greer at the 16:26 mark. Nashville struggled to generate sustained offensive pressure through the first two periods, managing just 12 shots on goal before the third period began.
Saros Stands Tall Between the Pipes
Juuse Saros delivered a spectacular performance in net, turning aside 30 of 31 shots to backstop the Predators to victory. The Finnish netminder was particularly sharp in overtime, making several crucial saves to keep Nashville alive before Stamkos ended the contest.
Goalie
Team
Decision
GA
SA
SV
SV%
TOI
Juuse Saros
NSH
W
1
31
30
.968
64:03
Sergei Bobrovsky
FLA
OTL
2
29
27
.931
64:03
Third Period Spark Ignites Comeback
Nashville finally broke through in the third period when Ryan O’Reilly tied the game at 13:41, finishing off excellent work from Michael Bunting and Nicolas Hague. The goal energized the Predators, who carried momentum into overtime where Stamkos provided the heroics with assists from O’Reilly and captain Roman Josi.
The contest featured physical play throughout, with Nashville accumulating 14 penalty minutes compared to Florida’s 12. The Predators killed all four Panthers power plays while failing to convert on their own three opportunities with the man advantage.
Offensive Contributors Lead the Way
O’Reilly paced the Predators with a goal and an assist, logging over 22 minutes of ice time in all situations. Stamkos’ overtime winner marked his eighth goal of the season, while Josi, Hague, and Bunting each recorded assists in the victory.
Player
Team
G
A
PTS
+/-
S
TOI
Ryan O’Reilly
NSH
1
1
2
+2
4
22:27
Steven Stamkos
NSH
1
0
1
+1
1
17:38
Roman Josi
NSH
0
1
1
+1
3
27:08
Carter Verhaeghe
FLA
1
0
1
0
5
17:43
Sam Bennett
FLA
0
1
1
0
4
21:19
Nashville’s defense limited Florida to just 31 shots despite spending extended stretches in their own zone. The Panthers outshot the Predators 31-29 but couldn’t solve Saros when it mattered most, with the goaltender’s .968 save percentage proving to be the difference in a tightly contested affair before an announced crowd of 19,340.
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