NASHVILLE — Alex Nedeljkovic held firm through a frantic finish and then watched Macklin Celebrini supply the only shootout goal as the San Jose Sharks outlasted the Nashville Predators 3-2 at Bridgestone Arena on Thursday.
San Jose left with its fourth win in seven games after nearly letting a two-goal third-period cushion disappear. The Predators forced overtime on Steven Stamkos’ wrist shot with one second left in regulation, but Nedeljkovic shut the door in the extra period and Celebrini delivered the deciding move in the tiebreaker.
How the game unfolded
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Mason Marchment put the Sharks ahead 5:30 into the opening period. Tyler Toffoli collected a loose puck beneath the goal line, looked away from the middle and slipped a pass into the slot for Marchment’s one-timer past Juuse Saros.
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After a scoreless second period, Will Smith doubled San Jose’s lead at 4:28 of the third. Michael Kesselring sent a backhand feed from the right-side boards, and Smith moved into the right circle before beating Saros on the blocker side.
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Ryan O’Reilly gave Nashville life on the power play at 9:05 of the third. Jonathan Marchessault fired a one-timer from the left circle, and O’Reilly knocked the rebound home from the crease area underneath Nedeljkovic’s arm.
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The Predators tied it at 19:59 of the third period. Stamkos unloaded a wrist shot from the top of the left face-off circle to make it 2-2 just before the horn.
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Nedeljkovic preserved the tie in overtime, sliding across his crease to glove Roman Josi’s chance with nine seconds remaining.
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Celebrini scored the lone goal in the shootout, allowing the Sharks to finish off the 3-2 win.
Goaltending and team notes
Nedeljkovic finished with 32 saves for San Jose, which had dropped three of its previous four outings before arriving in Nashville. Saros stopped 30 shots for the Predators.
| Team | Record | Scorers | Goaltending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharks | 4-3-0 | Mason Marchment, Will Smith; Macklin Celebrini scored in shootout | Alex Nedeljkovic, 32 saves |
| Predators | 2-2-3 | Ryan O’Reilly, Steven Stamkos | Juuse Saros, 30 saves |
Nashville has now lost four of its past five games, with a 1-1-3 mark over that stretch. The late equalizer earned the Predators a point, but the Sharks escaped with the second one after Nedeljkovic’s overtime robbery of Josi and Celebrini’s shootout finish.
