Revenge is sweet, when it’s on your side.
The Nashville Predatorsavoided a sweep by the defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Pantherswith a 2-1 come-from-behind thriller in overtime on a goal that was allowed after the net had come off its moorings.
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Sound familiar?
The Preds lost a controversial game in overtime earlier this season to the Minnesota Wildafter the goal was allowed when goalie Justus Annunen knocked the net loose.
Thursday at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, the Preds tasted the benefit of a loose net and sent Panthers fans home disappointed.
Carter Verhaeghe scored for the Cats’ lone goal, while Ryan O’Reilly and Steven Stamkos got the Preds’ two hard-fought goals.
The win avenges an 8-3 loss to the Cats in late November, and Florida has now dropped four straight, languishing in last place in the Eastern Conference.
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After Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky robbed Matthew Wood on a breakout, Carter Verhaeghe faked out Juuse Saros on the other end after a nice setup by Sam Bennett for a 1-0 lead at 16:26 of the opening frame.
Both teams had numerous chances to change the scoreboard, but it wasn’t until the third period that the Preds finally knotted the game.
Ryan O’Reilly put in a rebound off a Michael Bunting shot at the 13:41 mark to make it a 1-1 game, spoiling Bobrovsky’s shutout bid and requiring overtime.
Then, Steven Stamkos fired in the golden goal at 4:01 of the extra frame from O’Reilly, and the Preds come away with an unbelievable win.
The net came off its moorings, but upon further review, the goal was allowed.
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Earlier in the game, the Preds thought they had a power-play goal, but the officials determined the puck never crossed the goal line. Stamkos’ goal made certain the no-goal wouldn’t come back to haunt them.
The Predators have won four of their last five games, their best stretch of the season thus far. The Panthers haven’t won since beating Nashville at Bridgestone Arena Nov. 24.
Here are three takeaways from the game.
Saros Outduels Bobrovsky.
After a rocky stretch, Preds goalie Juuse Saros appears to have found his form. He stopped 27 of 28 shots in the Preds’ 5-1 victory over the Calgary Flames Tuesday, and passed almost every test against Florida.
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Saros and Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky put on quite a show, but Saros outdueled the Stanley Cup Champion, stopping 30 of the 31 shots fired his way.
His biggest test came in the second period, as the Panthers held a 16-5 shot advantage in the frame. The only blemish came on Verhaeghe’s goal to put the Cats ahead 1-0.
Verhaeghe deked Saros out of position after being fed by Sam Bennett. This came just moments after Bobrovsky robbed Matthew Wood on a breakaway at the other end.
For the game, Florida outshot the Preds 31-29, but Saros earned his money on this night.
The Preds†penalty kill was heavily tested.
As good as the Predators†penalty kill has been most of the season, it had allowed a goal in three of its last four games coming into Thursday.
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In all fairness, the unit was without Cole Smith and Michael McCarron, two of their best penalty killers, both fighting injuries. McCarron was back in the lineup against Florida, and the kill was back in form.
There were some close calls. Nick Blankenburg went to the sin bin for a high-sticking double minor, sending Anton Lundell to the locker room briefly. The Cats had several great chances, including one sequence when Saros lost his stick. Disaster was averted, and the Preds killed off the double minor.
Florida was 17-for-89 (19.8%) on the power play, 18th in the league heading into Thursday. The Preds shut down the Cats’ power play, killing all six penalties. The Preds’ own power play failed to score on all five of its chances.
Ozzy Wiesblatt exited early.
Nov 26, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Nashville Predators right wing Michael McCarron (47), right wing Ozzy Wiesblatt (89), and Detroit Red Wings center Marco Kasper (92) are broken up during the game at Little Caesars Arena. Tim Fuller-Imagn Images
Wiesblatt has been a bright spot in Nashvilleâ€s lineup this season. He scored his first NHL goal Tuesday against Calgary, and celebrated by pointing to the sky in honor of his late brother, Orca.
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Early in Thursdayâ€s contest, Wiesblatt lost a glove and appeared to injure his hand. He left for the tunnel and didnâ€t return. He’s currently listed as having an upper-body injury.
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