Deadspin: Predators’ Steven Stamkos Burns Lightning in Third-Period Rally and Shootout

Stamkos decides the shootout

Stamkos tied the game 4-4 with a power-play goal at 7:27 of the third period. In the fourth shootout round, he beat Andrei Vasilevskiy with a backhand shot under the goaltender’s right arm.

Annunen made 22 saves during the game, then denied Pontus Holmberg, Brayden Point, Jake Guentzel and Gage Goncalves in the shootout. It was his first shootout in 83 NHL appearances, an NHL record.

Nashville rallies through three periods

Reid Schaefer opened the scoring for Nashville at 11:14 of the first period, scoring his first goal of the season on an odd-man rush. Tampa Bay equalized when Adam Edstrom inadvertently put John Carlson’s diagonal pass into his own net at 13:38; Carlson received credit for the goal.

The teams traded goals in the opening 45 seconds of the second period. Guentzel tipped in a long shot 19 seconds into the frame, and Edstrom scored on a two-on-one to make it 2-2. Victor Hedman put Tampa Bay ahead at 3:23, before Jayden Struble tied the game with 18 seconds left in the period.

Conor Geekie gave the Lightning a 4-3 lead 3:31 into the third. Stamkos’s power-play goal brought Nashville level and sent the game to a shootout.

Key contributions on both sides

Nick Perbix and Filip Forsberg each recorded two assists for Nashville. Schaefer, Edstrom and Struble also scored for the Predators. Nikita Kucherov had three assists, a day after asking Tampa Bay to trade him. Carlson finished with a goal and an assist, while Vasilevskiy made 29 saves.