February 26, 2026 — The Nashville Predators used a three-goal third period to pull away from the Chicago Blackhawks, earning a 4-2 victory in front of 17,224 fans at Bridgestone Arena. Nashville improved to 27-24-7 on the season while Chicago fell to 22-27-9.
Game overview
Filip Forsberg opened the scoring late in the first period at the 13:50 mark, burying his 25th goal of the season to give Nashville an early lead. The Blackhawks answered in the second when Connor Bedard found the net for his 24th goal, assisted by Ryan Greene, to tie the game heading into the final frame.
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | Dec | GA | SA | SV | SV% | TOI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justus Annunen | NSH | W | 2 | 23 | 21 | .913 | 60:00 |
| Spencer Knight | CHI | L | 3 | 25 | 22 | .880 | 59:15 |
Justus Annunen turned in a solid performance between the pipes for Nashville, stopping 21 of 23 shots for a .913 save percentage across a full 60 minutes. Spencer Knight kept the Blackhawks in the game but allowed three goals on 25 shots in the loss.
Third-period surge
The third period belonged to Nashville. After Tyler Bertuzzi gave Chicago a 2-1 lead on a power-play goal at 3:16, the Predators responded quickly. Matthew Wood tied it at 7:12 with a power-play marker of his own, assisted by Erik Haula. Ryan O’Reilly then netted the game-winner at 16:44 off a feed from Roman Josi, and Steven Stamkos sealed it with an empty-net goal at 19:12 for his 29th of the season.
Point scorers
| Player | Team | G | A | PTS | +/- | S | TOI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filip Forsberg | NSH | 1 | 0 | 1 | +1 | 4 | 17:40 |
| Matthew Wood | NSH | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10:07 |
| Ryan O’Reilly | NSH | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 18:40 |
| Steven Stamkos | NSH | 1 | 0 | 1 | +1 | 4 | 14:54 |
| Erik Haula | NSH | 0 | 1 | 1 | +2 | 0 | 15:56 |
| Roman Josi | NSH | 0 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 0 | 25:25 |
| Connor Bedard | CHI | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 21:29 |
| Tyler Bertuzzi | CHI | 1 | 0 | 1 | -2 | 3 | 17:56 |
| Ryan Greene | CHI | 0 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 1 | 16:44 |
| Teuvo Teräväinen | CHI | 0 | 1 | 1 | -2 | 2 | 19:49 |
| Sam Rinzel | CHI | 0 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 3 | 20:53 |
Special teams and discipline
Special teams played a pivotal role in the outcome. Both teams converted on the power play, with Chicago going 1-for-2 and Nashville going 1-for-1. The Predators racked up 12 penalty minutes compared to Chicago’s 4, including a double minor on Erik Haula in the first period and matching roughing calls between Michael McCarron and Sam Rinzel in the third. Nashville’s penalty kill held firm despite the heavy workload.
Looking ahead
The win gives Nashville important momentum as the Predators continue their push in the second half of the season. Roman Josi led all skaters with 25:25 of ice time and contributed an assist on the game-winning goal, while Forsberg and Stamkos each registered four shots on goal to lead the Nashville attack.
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