Washington Capitals 2-3 Nashville Predators
Washington arrived at the game against Nashville in strong form. The team had goals in nine straight games (7-0-2) and had won the previous day. Alexander Ovechkin was on a goals streak across four games, tallying seven goals, while Evgeny Kuznetsov had 11 points in the prior seven outings (2 goals and 7 assists).
Yet the Predators were equally sharp, riding momentum with a 5-1-2 stretch over eight games and entering the clash with a two-game winning run. They had just beaten Carolina 5-3 on the road the night before. The performance of goalie Juuse Saros stood out, stopping 64 shots—the third-highest single-game total in regular-season play in league history.
With a back-to-back decision, both clubs started reserve netminders for the second consecutive game: Charlie Lindgren guarded the Capitals’ crease, while Kevin Lankinen tended the Predators’ goal. Both performed solidly, facing 29 and 19 shots respectively, but the tale of the night belonged to the skaters.
One stand-out came from the Nashville side. Yakov Trenin, a player who often excels at defensive responsibilities, stepped forward in a big moment. His presence helped neutralize Washington’s leaders and special-teams units, and he delivered when it counted, even in unfamiliar surroundings. In the decisive stretch, Trenin won a key board battle and fed Thomas Novak, who maneuvered into open ice and buried the fourth goal—Novak’s seventh point in nine games after earning a recall from the farm club. This followed a season debut where he posted seven points in 21 prior games, with only one goal.
A few minutes later, Sonny Milano found his rhythm again, and the Russian defenseman Dmitry Orlov earned an assist as part of the setup play. Just before the break, Trenin struck again, weaving through the Washington zone, executing a spin move, and feeding his teammates as the puck found its way home. The result was Trenin’s continued influence and a 12th point of the season for the forward on another productive night.
The pace remained high into the second period, with both teams trading moments of brilliance and tight defense, resulting in a solitary goal apiece in the middle frame. Nicholas Obekubel wired a decisive strike in the second period after collecting a puck in the neutral zone, shedding a stick fight, and gliding into the scoring area to fire past Lindgren. The shot beat the goalie high on the glove side, giving Obekubel his second goal of the season on back-to-back nights. His trajectory this season has been unusual, having begun with a Cup championship in Colorado and a winding path through Toronto and Washington this year, including a last-minute recall after a family move at home later in the season.
In the third period, Washington looked for the equalizer, but Nashville sealed the win with a smooth finish from the back end. Ryan McDonagh, newly integrated after a summer trade with Tampa Bay, stepped into the rush and beat Lindgren for what proved to be the game-winner. The score stood as the defender’s first since joining his new club, capping a night that highlighted the Predators’ depth and composure under pressure.
With a few minutes remaining, Washington pressed to extend its run, but the Nashville defense held firm. Ovechkin and Kuznetsov, who had carried much of the early-season offense, were largely quiet in the closing minutes, while the club’s captain logged several shots and a blocked attempt, continuing his push toward a historical milestone. The evening left Washington frustrated and Nashville celebrating a hard-earned victory that reflected the resilience and cohesion of the Predators’ lineup. The game’s outcome punctuated a broader narrative about the Capitals chasing consistency against a determined opponent. (Source: league box score summaries and postgame analysis.)
Winnipeg Jets 4-2 Tampa Bay Lightning
In Winnipeg, the spotlight rested on Tampa Bay star Nikita Kucherov as the Lightning’s captain marked the NHL’s 600th regular-season game. He produced another scoring touch in a contested contest, delivering a decisive strike that found the net against Connor Hellebuyck. The goal signaled a key moment as Yıldırım briefly regained the lead after an earlier tie and helped Kucherov accumulate 16 points over his last 11 games (3 goals, 13 assists).
Despite the personal milestone for Kucherov, Toronto-area rivals did not back down. After Anthony Cirelli opened the scoring, Pierre-Luc Dubois answered for Winnipeg, marking his 400th league appearance in the process. The game shifted in the third period when Kyle Connor earned a power-play goal for the Jets, followed by Morgan Barron’s shot that squeezed through Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Russian goalkeeper finished with 16 saves and three goals allowed as Winnipeg extended its win streak to four games in a row.
Other matches
Detroit Red Wings 2-3 Florida Panthers
Chicago Blackhawks 2-0 Arizona Coyotes
Calgary Flames 4-1 New York Islanders
Anaheim Ducks – San Jose Sharks – 5:4 Overtime
Sergei Bobrovsky’s 29 saves helped Florida secure victory over Detroit, earning him a strong performance in the win. The Islanders, who have endured a variable campaign, were defeated behind resilient play from Sergei Varlamov and company. Nikita Zadorov contributed a key goal for Calgary in a balanced showing.
Alexander Barabanov had an assist in the Anaheim game, but San Jose could not hold the lead in overtime.