Nashville took care of business at Bridgestone Arena, beating Colorado 6-2 in NHL action, and they did it with a special teams clinic. The Predators struck four times on the power play and controlled the faceoff circle, turning a tight start into a clear scoreboard. Steven Stamkos scored twice, Filip Forsberg added a goal and two assists, and Roman Josi piled up three power-play helpers. The headline act belonged to Ryan O’Reilly, who posted 2 goals and 2 assists while winning almost every draw he took.

Colorado found goals from Artturi Lehkonen and Devon Toews, with Martin Necas providing two assists and Nathan MacKinnon adding one. But the Avalanche never solved Nashville’s power play or their grip on possession. Shots on goal finished 35-21 for the Predators, who also won 62% of faceoffs. For full box score details and play-by-play, check the match page on Sofascore, and follow the NHL all season.

Special teams tilted the ice

The Predators went 4/7 on the power play, good for 57%, and even cashed their lone 5-on-3 look. Their power-play shot conversion checked in at 40% (4 goals on 10 shots), while they controlled 54% of power-play faceoffs. Forsberg opened the scoring on an early man advantage, then O’Reilly added two power-play tallies in the second period. Stamkos wrapped it up with a late power-play strike in the third.

Colorado answered with 0/4 on the power play and only one shot recorded across those chances, leaving a lot on the table. Nashville’s discipline was not spotless with 15 penalty minutes, but the Avalanche’s 21 penalty minutes and nine total infractions repeatedly handed momentum back. A too-many-men penalty and several minor calls gave Nashville the rhythm they needed. When the Predators won the draw on special teams, the puck stayed in and the puck went in.

Ryan O’Reilly owned the dot and the moment

O’Reilly put on a two-way masterclass. He scored twice, assisted twice, and finished plus-1 with five shots on goal and one block. He was nearly perfect on faceoffs at 91.7% (11-of-12), setting up extended zone time and primary touches for Nashville’s big shooters. He logged three power-play points and chipped in an even-strength assist on Stamkos’s first-period goal.

Period by period, the numbers tell the story. O’Reilly went 6-of-6 on draws in the first, scored both of his goals in the second, and added a power-play helper in the third. The Predators leaned on him for entries, retrievals, and net-front touches, and he delivered. For his full stat line, see his player page on Sofascore.

Territory, shot quality and those little margins

Nashville led shots 35-21 and edged the possession share with 51.5% Corsi and 51.0% Fenwick. Average shot distance favored the Predators at 8.8 compared to Colorado’s 9.4, a small but telling nod toward better looks. Nashville mixed its finishes well, scoring from wrist shots, backhands, and a snap, including two backhand conversions from four attempts. Even at 5-on-5, Colorado’s shot percentage (10%) topped Nashville’s (8%), but the Predators’ overall volume and special teams punch covered that gap.

Faceoffs mattered in every game state. Nashville won 64% of even-strength faceoffs and 57% while shorthanded, then carried 54% on the power play. That platform let their quarterbacks, especially Josi, feed shooters in stride. It also kept the Avalanche chasing through line changes and zone exits, which is not where you want to be against a tidy home forecheck.

Avalanche flashes, but no power-play breakthrough

Colorado’s best sequences came at even strength. Lehkonen scored in the second period off feeds from Necas and MacKinnon, and Toews struck in the third from Malinski and Necas. Necas finished with two assists and good touches in transition, while MacKinnon added one assist and kept pushing with 17 faceoffs taken. Toews, Malinski, and Cale Makar all got pucks through from the blue line, but sustained pressure was rare.

Scott Wedgewood turned away 29 of 35 shots. He was sharp at 5-on-5 with a 0.92 save rate at even strength, but Nashville’s man-advantage movement posed problems. The Avalanche also brought 15 hits and 11 blocks, with Gabriel Landeskog landing a game-high four hits for the visitors. Still, the nine penalties, including a too-many-men call and multiple minors, blunted any push they tried to build.

First-period control, second-period surge, third-period management

Nashville set the tone in the first with a 2-0 lead and a 74% faceoff clip, stacking long shifts in the Colorado zone. The second period decided the game. The Predators poured in three more, including two O’Reilly power-play goals and Jack Drury’s even-strength finish from Ross Colton and Brady Skjei. Colorado got one back through Lehkonen, but went to intermission down 5-1.

The third was about game management. The Avalanche got a quick goal from Toews to make it 5-2, only for Stamkos to answer on the power play off feeds from O’Reilly and Josi. That sealed it at 6-2 and kept Nashville’s special-teams theme intact. The Predators finished with 17 hits, 10 blocks and 12 giveaways, numbers they will want to tidy, but the formula of draw wins and power-play precision was more than enough. Track future matchups and in-depth stats on Sofascore’s NHL hub and revisit this game’s flow on the match center.