The Nashville Predators (24-22-4) seem to be gaining the momentum they had at the beginning of the month. They were on a two-game losing streak, but against the Ottawa Senators (23-20-7), they had a gritty comeback win, claiming a 5-3 victory after falling behind 3-0.
The 3-0 Senators lead came at 10:46 in the second period, after two goals by Stephen Halliday and Ridly Grieg in the first and Brady Tkachuk in the second. However, the Predators started their scoring run with a Steven Stamkos power-play goal at 18:34 in the second.
Then, the Predators scored four unanswered in the third. Jonathan Marchessault (welcome back) potted one at 8:19, Stamkos scored two straight at 10:07 and 18:47 to take the lead, and Cole Smith put in the empty-netter at 19:33 to win it 5-3.
Welcome Back, Jonathan Marchessault
Marchessault was not on the ice for a long time. On Dec. 17, 2025, against the Carolina Hurricanes, he suffered a lower-body injury that took him out for 14 games. Some were curious as to why he was taking a much more extended break than originally thought, but he returned to action against the Vegas Golden Knights on Jan. 17, 2026.
Still, he hadn’t notched a point since Dec. 13, 2025, against the Colorado Avalanche. The 35-year-old winger has had a rough season so far, with just eight goals and three assists in 31 games.
However, Marchessault took advantage of a 2-on-0 against the Senators. Luke Evangelista made a long stretch pass to Marchessault, and all that was left was for Michael Bunting and Marchessault to hot-potato the puck to where Ottawa goaltender James Reimer couldn’t guess who had it in time.
Sure, Marchessault was on a cold stretch entering this game, but all it takes is one goal to find your form sometimes.
We Missed You, Prime Steven Stamkos
When the Predators signed Stamkos to a four-year, $32 million contract back on July 1, 2024, they were expecting a point-per-game scorer who could get 40 goals in a season and feast on the power play. So far, that version of Stamkos hasn’t been present in Nashville.
In the first season of his deal (2024-25), Stamkos scored just 27 goals and notched 53 points in 82 games, with a minus-36 plus/minus. The Predators were one of the worst teams in the league, and while they had issues with team depth, coaching, and Juuse Saros having a rough season, that didn’t mean Stamkos wasn’t to blame, either.
Fast forward to the beginning of the 2025-26 season, and Stamkos looked unplayable. He had just one goal and an assist in 12 games in the month of October, and people were wondering if he would be traded or even bought out.
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He started to pick it up in November (five goals and two assists in 13 games), but in December and January, Stamkos has shone for the Predators. He scored 12 goals and five assists in 17 games in December, and this month, he has six goals and four assists through 11 games.
Stamkos personified his revival with a hat trick against the Senators. He had two goals on the power play and the go-ahead goal at 18:47 in the third. As a result, he leads all Predators with 24 goals. It feels like Stamkos’ scoring chops are still alive and well, especially on the power play.
Congratulations, Roman Josi
The game against the Senators was a memorable moment for Predators fans, but defenseman Roman Josi will never forget that night. This game was the 1,000th of his career, earning him the silver stick.
Josi is the only player to cross 1,000 games with just the Predators. He has been through it all: the Predators run to the Stanley Cup in 2016-17, the Presidents’ Trophy in 2017-18, the dismantling and quick revival in 2023-24, and the nightmare 2024-25 season.
Josi has 198 goals and 555 assists through 1,000 games. He leads all Predators in points, won the 2019-20 Norris Trophy, and could be the Predators’ best player ever.
This season, he has eight goals and 29 points through 38 games, showing that the 35-year-old defenseman still hasn’t lost a step. He could try to get 1,000 points in a Predators uniform if he wanted to, but it was a nice moment for Predators fans who’ve seen him play at Bridgestone Arena their entire lives.
Standings/Schedule
Nashville is still fifth in the Central Division and a point outside of the playoff line in the Western Conference, but they’ve shown clear upward momentum this season. The Senators, meanwhile, have gone completely backwards from a strong 2024-25 season. They’re now at the bottom of the Atlantic Division and close to the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
Nashville faces the Utah Mammoth at home on Saturday, Jan. 24, to finish out the week, while the Senators go up against the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan. 24 as well.
