Stamkos Scores in Overtime as Preds Win for the Dads, Beat Avalanche

Did it for the dads. 

Vitali Pinchuk scored his first NHL goal, and Steven Stamkos won it in overtime as the Nashville Predators defeated the Colorado Avalanche by a 3-2 final on Thursday night at Ball Arena. The result gives the Preds their third straight victory and a well-earned triumph on the team’s Fathers’ Trip. 

Former Avs forward Ross Colton also scored for Nashville, and former Colorado goaltender Justus Annunen made 30 saves to give the Preds their seventh win of the season to inch within one point of the Avalanche in the standings. 

“It just feels like we're building some momentum in terms of how we want to play our game,” Stamkos said. “The style of play of our group, we're getting comfortable. We had a lot of turnover this year with new guys - it takes some time to get adjusted to the systems, for the coaching staff to see what we have and then kind of put a game plan together. But all four lines are rolling. The D is playing great. Our goaltenders are playing great. Special teams have been great. I mean, it's just a recipe for success.”

“That was a great effort,” Preds Head Coach Andrew Brunette said. “I thought it was a really good team over there who were pretty angry after [they lost the] other night. I thought we came out where we attacked, we didn't wait for them to get to us, and that was a close hockey game. And it came down to a huge kill at the end of regulation and a big power-play goal in overtime.”

In his first game back against his former team, it was Colton who pounced on a loose puck in front and gave the Preds a 1-0 lead early in the first period. Then, after Colorado tied it, Reid Schaefer found Pinchuk down low, and the rookie placed a beautiful backhand shot into the top of the twine for his first in the NHL and a 2-1 Nashville lead through 20 minutes. 

“I'm so excited because we won and I scored,” Pinchuk said. “It's what I want. We played good, and today [we had a] great PK, great play by ‘Big Juice’.”

“Way nicer than a lot of guys' first NHL goals, so I'm sure he'll remember that for a long time,” Stamkos smiled. “I thought that was his best game by a mile. You could tell, you gain a little confidence when you score, but he had the puck on his stick a lot. He was making plays, made a great move to draw that penalty as well. So we're hoping he can build on that because you saw the confidence starting to come with his game tonight.”

The Avalanche scored the only goal of the second stanza for a 2-2 draw headed into the third, and that score held as the two clubs traded chances headed into overtime. But in the extra frame, after Stamkos had taken a penalty late in regulation, No. 91 drew one of his own to send the Preds to the power play. 

And as he’s done so many times in his career, a one-timer from the left circle did the trick to give Stamkos career power-play goal No. 247 to pass Phil Esposito and tie Luc Robitaille for the fifth most in NHL history.

“You get a power play in overtime, it's obviously a great opportunity,” Stamkos said. “I had a few chances earlier on the power plays, and didn't get quite the shots that I wanted to, and that one felt really good coming off the stick. So it was obviously a big goal in the game, and we'll certainly take this win. It was a great team effort tonight.”

Nashville has now beaten Colorado twice in less than two weeks with 10 goals in those two games against the Avs. Thursday marked the third-straight game where the Preds have prevailed against one of the NHL’s top teams, and evidence their game continues to improve is rather prevalent. 

“We've played them twice in the last week and a half, we played Tampa, we played Carolina - I mean, we're playing some really good teams here, and we're finding ways to win,” Stamkos said. “Again, you could just feel something changing in terms of how we're playing. Certainly defending a lot harder. I think we're figuring out what we need to do offensively to get pucks in deep and use our speed and forecheck. And like I said, everyone is contributing, and that's the key to a good hockey team.”

Thursday’s effort was made that much sweeter with the dads in attendance, and the Preds weren’t about to let their biggest supporters down on a night that simply felt like it would eventually go their way. 

And a mile above sea level, the visitors stole an extra point. 

“We had a couple guys coming back here for the first time in Ross and [Jack Drury]; there’s all different types of motivations, but anytime you can win one in front of the dads, it's going to be a fun night,” Stamkos said.

“When the dads come, the players play extra hard, and I thought they played really hard tonight,” Brunette said. “I hope they enjoy the night with their dads, and to have them here is always a special time for everybody involved. I think everybody that has put the skates on is very grateful to have dads that take us to rinks, in our support channels. To be able to share a couple days with them, and in a game like this, in a win, is pretty special.”

Notes: 

Preds forward Jonathan Marchessault (lower-body, day-to-day) participated in Thursday’s morning skate in Colorado, but he remained out of the lineup on Thursday. Defensemen Nic Hague and Ilya Lyubushkin were healthy scratches. 

Roman Josi is now 22nd in NHL history in assists by a defenseman with 592 helpers. 

The Predators will now return home for a Saturday matinee against the St. Louis Blues at noon CT from Bridgestone Arena. The Pred will debut their Hometown Remix jerseys on Saturday, the first of 10 occasions they’ll wear the uniforms this season.