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In over 25 years of existence, the Predators had trailed by four or more goals on 173 different occasions. They had never won a game under those circumstances.

And then Tuesday night happened.

Down by a 5-1 count to the San Jose Sharks less than five minutes into the second period, Nashville stormed back to score six unanswered goals in the final 28 minutes of regulation to skate off with a 7-5 victory on what can only be described as the most dramatic regular-season comeback in franchise history.

The Preds had previously come back from a three-goal deficit on 13 separate occasions over the last quarter century, but never by four.

And sure, the Predators certainly would have preferred it not be necessary to have to erase a four-goal hole just for a chance at a single point. Frankly, they were embarrassed by allowing four goals on just eight shots in the first period that saw Juuse Saros pulled in favor of Justus Annunen.

For a team coming off an emotional victory and riding a three-game win streak with the final outing of a five-game homestead underway, things were not looking good.

“We owe [Saros] one for sure,” Preds defenseman Nick Blankenburg said. “We didn't help him out one bit on those first goals. He’s bailed us out many times, so we owe him one.”

However…

“But at the end of the day, we found a way to win, and good teams find a way to win. That was a fun one at home.”

Tommy Novak gave his club a bit of life in the opening period, Fedor Svechkov and Justin Barron brought the Preds to within two in the second stanza, and after four more goals in the third - courtesy of Jonathan Marchessault, Roman Josi, Blankenburg and Filip Forsberg - nobody was quite sure what to believe anymore.

“A tough one to make sense of,” Preds Head Coach Andrew Brunette said moments after the final horn as he searched for words to describe what he had just witnessed.

But the belief the Predators could come back no matter how large the deficit?

“It comes from our group,” Brunette said. “You're proud of them. They haven't given up all year, and they hadn't given up in that game, and they kept pushing for this. It’s nothing I did. They did it all. They wanted it and they went out and got it.”

And it wasn’t just the fact the Preds wanted the two points and took care of business - but in this line of work, things simply need to go in your favor from time to time.

Consider the way the final 20 minutes played out.

First, Steven Stamkos barely held the puck onside before he found Marchessault at the side of the San Jose net less than 30 seconds into the third period to bring Nashville to within one.

Then, Ryan O’Reilly became an unsung hero by not even touching the puck.

After Josi made an acrobatic play to hold in a San Jose clearing attempt with his hand to stay onside, the most likely recipient of the puck would have been O’Reilly in the near vicinity. However, had Nashville’s alternate captain touched the biscuit, he would have been called for a hand pass.

Instead, the veteran centerman had the awareness to fend off a Sharks player to allow Josi to receive his own keep-in and keep the play alive. Moments later, Forsberg found the captain for a one-timer to tie the game at 5-5.

“That’s such a smart play,” Josi said of O’Reilly. “Such an underrated play that probably a lot of people don't see. And first of all, just to make that decision to not touch it, and then also controlling the guy's stick to not be able to touch it - he’s one of the best. He's been doing it for, I don't know, 15 years now. He's one of the best with the stick and the way bats pucks down, the way he wins battles with a stick. I think if you watch him closely for a game and just watch the stick, it's unbelievable how many stick battles he wins, and he did it there, too.”

Minutes later, things could have taken a turn back in San Jose’s favor.

Not only had Preds defenseman Luke Schenn been called for a delay of game penalty for shooting the puck over the glass, but Brunette had elected to challenge the play.

If referees Eric Furlatt and Ghislain Hebert would have reported back Brunette was wrong, the Predators would have found themselves down by two men for a full two minutes. But instead, Preds Video Coaches Lawrence Feloney and Andrew Meloche - who seemingly never miss on a challenge - were right again.

“That was big for us,” Josi said of the challenge. “It was a big moment in the game. And you know, Law and Drew back there, they always do an amazing job. They're so good at what they're doing, and they saved us there.”

“I think [Law and Drew] back there, they're adamant,” Brunette said. “I think they had a great angle. So, when you see it, you know it's 120 percent from our view… We probably wouldn't challenge if we weren't over 100 percent, just where we were. We know it could be a 5-on-3. It would have been a dangerous time, and we had all the momentum. But we had really good views of it…and I’m glad it was overturned.”

And less than three minutes after Josi’s strike, Blankenburg gave the Preds the only lead they’d need all night.

By the time it was all over, the Predators found themselves with a 1-173-0 all-time record when trailing by four goals in a game.

They’d prefer their next win to come a bit easier, but considering the way this season has transpired, they’ll certainly take whatever they can get. But to close out their homestand with four straight triumphs?

They might just be onto something.

“It's huge just for our confidence,” Blankenburg said. “Going into tonight, [we hadn’t won four straight all season], so that’s just big for our confidence and just that belief in ourselves. And Bruno's been kind of hounding away, like, ‘Hey, let’s keep chipping away and fighting for this feeling.’ And I feel like over the last five, six, seven games we've had since we got back from that road trip and being at home, which there's been a great energy in the crowd, and obviously, that's helped us a lot. So, we’re glad to get the win for the fans.”