Oct 16, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Nashville Predators center Steven Stamkos (91) celebrates his goal against the Montreal Canadiens with his teammates during the second period at Bell Centre. David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Coming off a hard-fought 7-4 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs Tuesday at Scotiabank Arena, the Nashville Predators hoped to get back on track in Montreal Thursday at the Bell Centre against the Canadiens.
For most of the game, it looked like that might happen. After Nick Perbix scored to put the Preds ahead 2-1 at 11:21 of the third period, Cole Caufield scored the tying goal with 19 seconds left in regulation. He then tallied the golden goal with three seconds left in overtime for a 3-2 Canadiens victory.
"I liked our game," Preds head coach Andrew Brunette told reporters. "We gave ourselves a really good chance to win. Every second counts. I think we thought it was over, kinda gave up on (the overtime) play a little bit, and it turned around. Big learning experience."
The loss was a tough one to swallow for the Predators, who drop to 2-1-2 for the season. They continue to fight hard, but need to find a way to close out games.
After a scoreless first period, Steven Stamkos scored his first goal of the season to put the Preds ahead 1-0 at 11:36 of the middle frame. Roman Josi and Luke Evangelista each picked up assists. Perbix had the other Nashville goal.
Oliver Kapanen tied the score 1-1, and Caufield netted the final two nails in the Preds' coffin.
Prior to the game, the Predators reassigned forward Joakim Kemell to the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. Brady Martin was a healthy scratch for the third consecutive game, with Nick Blankenburg also a healthy scratch.
The Preds were facing a Canadiens team that had won their last three, including a 5-4 overtime win over the Seattle Kraken in their home opener Tuesday. The Habs improved to 4-1-1 after Thursday's win.
Here are three takeaways from the loss.
Steven Stamkos Finally Gets One
The first season in Nashville was a difficult one for Steven Stamkos as he tried to make the transition from a long career in Tampa Bay with the Lightning.
Coming into Thursday’s contest, Stamkos had no goals and an assist for one point through four games. He finally lit the lamp at the 11:36 mark of the middle frame on a nice setup by Roman Josi.
Stamkos’s shot deflected off a Habs defenseman and got past goalie Jakub Dobes to give Nashville a 1-0 lead. Josi and Luke Evangelista were each awarded assists.
"Sometimes you need that killer instinct to put some teams away," Stamkos said. "Whether that's on the power play or 5-on-5, it's been a struggle. We've just gotta keep digging."
Stamkos's goal actually came on a power play after Montreal’s Zachary Bolduc went to the sin bin for hooking. The goal snapped an 0-for-13 skid on the power play over the last three games for the Preds.
Stamkos now has 583 goals for his career. The Preds’ offense would get a real boost if he can find a rhythm, especially in tight games like these where the offense has had trouble lighting the lamp consistently.
Perbix Is Finding Some Offense, But The Preds Defense Still Has Cracks
One of general manager Barry Trotz's main tasks this past off-season was to bring more size to the defense and more protection for Juuse Saros.
Trotz brought in Nicolas Hague and Nick Perbix. Hague suffered an injury during training camp and has yet to play this season. Perbix has stepped up offensively, especially in the last two games.
The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Perbix scored what appeared to be the game-winner Thursday, until Cole Caufield knotted things up 2-2 with 19 seconds remaining in regulation.
Perbix's goal was his second in as many games. It came right after Saros made one of his many key saves in the game, putting the Preds ahead 2-1 at 11:21 of the third.
Perbix's offense notwithstanding, the Preds defense still needs to tighten things up. Saros, who came into the game with a 2-01 record and a 1.64 goals-against average, was money all night against the Habs. He stopped 24 of 27 shots and made countless key saves that kept his team in a tight game.
The Preds allowed Montreal to attack the net on a sequence that Saros stopped until Oliver Kapanen finally connected at the 6:02 mark of the third period. No one had an answer for Cole Caufield on either of his two goals, one that tied the game with 19 seconds left and the golden goal in overtime to break the hearts of the Preds.
Saros has been the definition of great so far this season. Great goaltending will only take a team so far, however, if his defense allows constant traffic in front of the net in close, tight contests. They must find a way to close things out and not rely on their netminder to do all the work.
Tyson Jost Is Mr. 500
Just five games into wearing a Preds jersey, forward Tyson Jost reached a milestone once he set foot on the ice by playing in his 500th career NHL game.
In 10 seasons, Jost has accumulated 149 points (61-88-149). The Predators claimed Jost off waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes Oct. 1. He scored four goals and five assists for nine points and 46 hits in 39 games for the Hurricanes last season.
In 14:31 of ice time, Jost had two shots on goal and no points. He would be a lot happier if his 500th game had resulted in a win regardless of his individual stats.
