Predators Edge Lightning 5-4 in Shootout
Steven Stamkos scored his first goal against his former team, but Nashville's Annunen stopped the Lightning in a four-round shootout.
Updated on Oct. 31, 2026 in Hockey
The Nashville Predators defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-4 in a shootout on October 31. Steven Stamkos scored his first career goal against his former team, tying Phil Esposito for sixth on the all-time power-play goals list.
Why it matters
The result gives Nashville a win over a Tampa Bay team that had been scoring steadily but struggling to hold leads late in games. For Nashville fans, the shootout victory adds a notable result to the early-season standings.
Steven Stamkos's power-play goal lifted his career total to 236, tying Phil Esposito for sixth on the all-time PPG list. The Lightning are 1-0-2 over their last three games, having allowed at least four goals in four consecutive games.
The players
Steven Stamkos
Stamkos is a longtime Tampa Bay Lightning center and a prolific power-play scorer who returned to face his former team.
Nashville Predators
The Predators are an NHL franchise based in Nashville, Tennessee, competing in the Western Conference.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Lightning are an NHL franchise based in Tampa, Florida, competing in the Atlantic Division.
The details
Tampa Bay scored three goals in the first 23 1/2 minutes, including Victor Hedman's goal at 3:23 of the second period. Nashville responded with odd-man rush goals from Reid Schaefer and Adam Edstrom, then Jayden Struble tied the game at three late in the second period before Conor Geekie gave Tampa Bay a 4-3 lead in the third. Goaltender Justin Annunen allowed no goals in the shootout, while Andrei Vasilevskiy surrendered only Stamkos's tally.
Timeline
- October 31, 2026: Nashville defeats Tampa Bay 5-4 in a shootout.
- Tuesday: Tampa Bay hosts Detroit in its first divisional matchup.
Season Trajectory
Stamkos tying Phil Esposito for sixth on the all-time power-play goals list places the veteran among established scorers in league history. The shootout win gives Nashville a result against a Tampa Bay side that has been trading goals heavily in recent contests.
Stamkos's power-play goal shifts the all-time PPG standings, a useful reference for fantasy and historical comparison. Fantasy managers tracking Tampa Bay's power-play production should note the team's three-game stretch of conceding at least four goals.
The takeaway
Power-play production and goaltending in shootouts can decide close games, and Stamkos's milestone shows how a single goal can shift a player's place in league history.
What happens next
The Lightning host Detroit on Tuesday in their first divisional matchup of the upcoming stretch.
Further reading
For more on the league, see Hockey coverage of Nashville's recent results.
Source note: This article includes information reported by NHL.
