Evangelista's Highlight Reel Goal Helps Predators Defeat Leafs
It was an exciting Saturday Night in Smashville as the Predators earned a 5-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Predators match up Saturday night against the Maple Leafs was advertised as a game between two desperate teams. Both teams were coming off of tough losses and looking for two points to restart a slow climb in the standings. It was an exciting sixty minutes of hockey at Bridgestone Arena as the Predators defeated the Leafs 5-3.
Quick Recap
Like the Ghost of Christmas Past, Nashville fell into a familiar trap giving up a goal less than two minutes into the game on a three on two chance. Another more positive Predators trend emerged as the first period progressed. Nashville started to get to their game and pressure Joseph Woll, but the Leafs took a 1-0 lead into the locker room after one period.
A Leafs tripping penalty in the second period gifted Nashville their first power play chance of the game. Erik Haula tipped in Roman Josi’s point shot to even the score at 4:56. A double skate deflection credited to John Tavaras made it a 2-1 game. The second period ended with four on four action as Nic Hague and Simon Benoit sat for matching unsportsmanlike penalties. As Hague and Benoit served their time, Ryan O’Reilly found a trailing Adam Wilsby who evened the game up once again with :34 seconds left in the middle frame.
The final period opened with plentiful scoring chances for Nashville, but they couldn’t convert early. Luke Evangelista finally got Nashville their first lead of the game at 9:18 with an insane backhand goal that fired up the team and the Nashville crowd. Toronto went empty net and added their extra attacker with two minutes remaining in regulation. Instead it was Steven Stamkos scoring a quick empty net goal that gave the Predators a two goal lead. Bobby McMann scored for the Leafs with less than a minute to play to bring the Leafs within one, but Cole Smith’s empty netter sealed the 5-3 Predators win.
Stats of the Game
Nashville outshot Toronto 34-22. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Predators got better at generating high danger chances as the game went on. (Two in the first period, four in the second period, and seven in the third.)
Brady Skjei recorded his first multipoint game of the season with the primary assists on Evangelista’s goal and Cole Smith’s empty net goal.
Erik Haula and Michael Bunting were buzzing. They took five and six shot in the game respectively, and their 5:22 seconds of five on five ice time with Luke Evangelista generated the highest expected goals for of any of Nashville’s lines in the game.
Adam Wilsby’s second period goal was his first goal of the season and first in over a year. His last goal was scored on December 17, 2024. Wilsby missed the final 30 games of last season with an upper body injury and missed ten games this season with injury as well.
Three Takeaways
Luke Evangelista’s go ahead goal was a thing of beauty. An absolute highlight reel goal by Evangelista not only gave the Predators the lead in the third period, but also resulted in one of the most exuberant cellys at Bridgestone Arena.
”It was a little much that celly, honestly. I just kind of blacked out. I should probably behave a little bit more,” Evangelista said after the game. “In a moment like that the adrenaline just gets the best of you.”
Michael Bunting said that was one of the nicer goals he’s ever seen.
“But don’t tell [Evangelista],” Bunting added.
Andrew Brunette wasn’t surprised with the display of skill from the winger.
“It’s kind of fun to watch a player grow before our eyes, and he’s getting more confident, feeling more comfortable every game. I’ve always known he’d make those plays. It was fun to see him do it in a big moment,” Brunette said in his postgame comments.
The Predators made some familiar mistakes, but didn’t get tripped up by them. The early part of this game was eerily similar to other starts for Nashville this season as the Predators gave up an early goal and took some time to get to their game.
“Obviously we’ve been through a lot of rough waters here, but we’re starting to find the trust in our team here,” Adam Wilsby said after the game.
“I think our team’s grown,” Brunette said. “We’ve been uncomfortable a lot this year in a lot of different hockey games. I even said it after the second period - hey, we’ve been here a million times.”
“We’re starting to stick with it,” Brunette said of the group.
The Predators need to carry this momentum over into Sunday’s game against the Rangers. Another desperate team was already dropping off their gear at Bridgestone as the Leafs game was wrapping up. The Rangers are in town and looking to get themselves back into the playoff conversation in the East.
“Obviously we have another desperate team coming in here with New York. They’re fighting to be in the playoffs as well, so we know it’s a big game tomorrow,” Michael Bunting said.
What’s Next
Nashville hosts the New York Rangers Sunday evening. Puck stop is schedule for 6:00 pm CT. Each team is on the second game of a back to back with the Rangers earning the shootout win Saturday night against the Philadelphia Flyers. Although they have struggled on home ice at Madison Square Garden, New York boasts an impressive road record of 14-5-1 this season.
Jonathan Marchessault missed Saturday night’s game with a lower body injury. He is listed as day-to-day.