In their first game after GM Barry Trotz announced his retirement, the Nashville Predators (26-23-2) had a heroic comeback win over the Central Division rival St. Louis Blues (20-27-9) on Monday night. They were down 5-1 just four minutes into the second period and rallied to a 6-5 victory.
The first period started with a Jake Neighbours goal at 4:53. Predators center Ryan O’Reilly, a former Blue, scored a power-play goal at 9:16 to tie it 1-1, but then St. Louis went on a four-goal run. First, it was Pavel Buchnevich, who ended the first period with a power-play goal at 14:24. Then, the Blues scored three straight goals in the second – Buchnevich again 45 seconds in, Philip Broberg at 3:23, then 32 seconds later, Colton Parayko drove one home.
That was when the Predators went to work. Michael McCarron scored at 11:35 of the second, and Filip Forsberg knocked one in at 13:49.
The third period was the Steven Stamkos show. O’Reilly scored his second of the night at 2:02 of the third, then Stamkos scored the game-tying goal at 7:14 and the game-winner at 10:23 to seal the victory.
Predators’ New Era Begins
Trotz, who will remain in the position until a successor is found, did a lot for the Predators as their first head coach in franchise history, despite some missteps. Through 15 years, he led the team to a 557-479-60 record and several playoff appearances. He always did more with less as a coach, and without him, the Predators might have moved out of Nashville.
However, his tenure as general manager is a cautionary tale about investing in free agency. In 2024, Nashville came out of free agency with legendary Tampa Bay Lightning winger Steven Stamkos, Vegas Golden Knights Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Marchessault, and Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brady Skjei.
While Stamkos has returned to form of late, Marchessault and Skjei have not performed to expectations so far. Combined with a lack of depth and an ill-fated extension for Juuse Saros, the Predators slipped from a Stanley Cup Playoff team in 2023-24 to a bottom-five team in 2024-25. Despite hoping to rebound in 2025-26, the team is still in a tough spot with a few rough contracts.
Trotz has done a lot for the organization, but with a new general manager and a new voice, Smashville could return to relevance.
Legendary Comeback for Nashville
This wasn’t just any comeback win. This was a statement win that tied a franchise record. The team’s biggest comeback victory is four goals, and they set that record on Jan. 21, 2025, against the San Jose Sharks. Nashville came back from a 5-1 deficit then as well and won it 7-5.
However, the context here is important. Trotz told the team that he was going to step down before the noon news conference, giving them hours to process the information before their game against the Blues. “This was a crazy day all around,” Stamkos told The Tennessean. “Woke up to some crazy texts of what was happening. Some shocking news.”
Monday’s game was a proper farewell for Trotz, who received cheers from the fans in attendance.
The players dedicated one of their biggest wins of the season to Trotz.
“We dug in and found a way to make Papa Barry proud,” Andrew Brunette said.
Steven Stamkos Makes History
Steven Stamkos was the crown jewel of the Predators’ disappointing 2024 free agent class. He signed a four-year, $32 million deal to be another superstar alongside Filip Forsberg and Roman Josi, but he struggled in his first season, with just 27 goals and 53 points in 82 games last season, including a minus-36 rating.
This season, however, he’s back, with 27 goals through 55 games to lead the team. His 41 points are ranked third on the team behind Forsberg and O’Reilly, and he surpassed 600 goals this season.
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Down 5-4 against the Blues on Monday, Stamkos scored the game-tying goal, then he somehow tracked a rebound off of St. Louis defenseman Colton Parayko and tucked it into the net for the game-winner.
Stamkos’ game-tying goal was the 608th of his career to tie Dino Ciccarelli for 20th all-time. He then immediately passed him with the 609th goal of his career to seal the victory.
Predators’ Schedule and Standings
The Predators are fifth in the Central Division, above the Blues, the Winnipeg Jets, and the Chicago Blackhawks, and just three points out of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference. They are gunning to take that second wild-card berth from the Anaheim Ducks.
With two games before the Olympic break, the Predators will host the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday and hit the road to face the hurting Washington Capitals on Thursday. After that, their next game is against the Blackhawks on Feb. 26.
