April 2, 2026 — Luke Evangelista ended a 16-round shootout with a decisive goal as the Nashville Predators outlasted the Los Angeles Kings 5–4 at Crypto.com Arena. Nashville scored four times across the first two periods to build a lead, but the Kings clawed back to force overtime, setting up one of the longest shootouts of the season.
Filip Forsberg and Zachary L’Heureux staked Nashville to a 2–0 lead before the end of the first period, and Jonathan Marchessault and Steven Stamkos extended it to 4–1 midway through the second. Los Angeles answered with three unanswered goals — two from Adrian Kempe and one from Scott Laughton — to tie the game heading into the third. Joel Armia’s even-strength goal in the third sent it to overtime, but Juuse Saros held firm before Evangelista finally converted in round 16.
Goaltending
| Goalie | DEC | GA | SA | SV | SV% | SO | TOI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juuse Saros | W | 4 | 33 | 29 | .879 | 0 | 64:45 |
| Darcy Kuemper | O | 4 | 34 | 30 | .882 | 0 | 65:00 |
Saros stopped 29 of 33 shots and held firm through overtime and all 16 shootout rounds to earn the win. Kuemper was equally sharp with 30 saves, but Evangelista’s 16th-round conversion proved the difference.
Special Teams and Possession
Nashville went 0-for-1 on the power play and surrendered a penalty shot to Ryan O’Reilly in the first period — Kuemper made the save. The Predators finished with a 51.8 CF% at all situations, led by Roman Josi (65.1), Steven Stamkos (65.2), and O’Reilly (62.3). Los Angeles edged Nashville in raw attempts but couldn’t solve Saros in the extra frame.
Point Scorers
| Player | G | A | PTS | +/- | SOG | TOI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Marchessault | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 21:12 |
| Filip Forsberg | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 1 | 20:34 |
| Zachary L’Heureux | 1 | 0 | 1 | +2 | 2 | 16:55 |
| Steven Stamkos | 1 | 0 | 1 | +3 | 3 | 20:40 |
| Roman Josi | 0 | 1 | 1 | +2 | 4 | 27:49 |
| Ryan O’Reilly | 0 | 1 | 1 | +2 | 4 | 22:39 |
| Brady Skjei | 0 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 1 | 24:59 |
| Erik Haula | 0 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 1 | 16:31 |
| Justin Barron | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 15:18 |
| Matthew Wood | 0 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 1 | 15:00 |
Marchessault led Nashville with a goal and an assist. Forsberg, L’Heureux, and Stamkos each scored, while Josi, O’Reilly, Skjei, Haula, Barron, and Wood added helpers. Evangelista went pointless in regulation but delivered the game-winner in the shootout.
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