FSM Essential Recap: Golden Knights vs Predators - Game 78 - 2023

FSM Essential Recap: Golden Knights vs Predators – Game 78 – 2023

Franchise Sports Media

Vegas Golden Knights (48-22-8)  | Nashville Predators  (39-30-8)

The Nashville Predators keep their playoff hopes alive by beating the Golden Knights in overtime, 3-2.

The Golden Knights vs Predators start of the first period.

With the season almost at a close, the Nashville Predators are trying to push for a final playoff spot in the wild-card round. Their effort worked out well, defeating the Vegas Golden Knights in overtime 3-2 at Bridgestone Arena.

Cody Glass scored a power-play goal 3:30 into overtime to rally the Predators for the win.

“We have so many guys normally … you have an opportunity to practice it, and it was really four new guys that hadn’t been on it,” Hynes said. “So it was just an opportunity to kind of sit and talk about certain plays.”

The win for the Predators pulled them within three points of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference currently held by Winnipeg, with Calgary just ahead of Nashville.

“We know we have to win a lot of hockey games to stay in it,” Novak said. “We’ve done a pretty good job so far, so hopefully, we can keep it going. We’ve kind of had that mindset for a while now.”

For the Vegas Golden Knights, their two-game winning streak was snapped, but they remain atop first place in the Pacific Division. Alex Pietrangelo scored his career-high with two goals in the second for Vegas, and Jonathan Quick finished the game with 24 saves. 

“Sometimes, it’s just not meant to be,” Pietrangelo said. “I thought we poured a lot in on the back-to-back, and we got in really late. You’ve got to be proud of the effort. We obviously wanted to win, but something to build off of here. I don’t think we can go home super disappointed.”

The Golden Knights vs Predators ended the first period.

The Predators scored twice in the first period, taking a 2-0 lead and controlling the game’s tempo. 

The Golden Knights vs Predators start of the second and third periods.

But Vegas answered back in the second period scoring two goals of their own to tie the game at two apiece. Alex Pietrangelo scored both of the goals.

“He’s in the right spots,” Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. “His timing was good to receive pucks. I think when you’re joining the rush as a defenseman, the key is getting the puck at the right time so you can get your head up, an opportunity to make a play to the net. I liked his timing a lot.”

The third period was scoreless, but the Golden Knights had a man advantage and a chance to win in regulation when Kevin Lankinen was penalized for the delay of the game with 4:30 to go in the third period. But Lankinen stopped every shot to help kill the penalty to send the game into overtime.

“Not the outcome we wanted, but [we had] chances. Their goalie played awesome,” Golden Knights forward Chandler Stephenson said. “He did what he’s supposed to. We couldn’t beat him for a while. A lot of saves that probably should have been goals, but he made good saves.”

The outcome did not favor the Golden Knights, but the Predators winning in overtime pushes them closer to a wild card spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Golden Knights vs Predators final score was 3-2, Nashville.

On Thursday, the Golden Knights will play against the Los Angeles Kings at T-Mobile Arena. The puck drops at 7:00 pm. The game can be seen on AT&T SportsNet (channel 313 on Cox Cable) or heard on 98.9 FM, FOX Sports Las Vegas 1340 AM.