PREDATORS FALL 4–2 TO SENATORS DESPITE STRONG THIRD-PERIOD PUSH

Game 3: Senators 4 vs Predators 2

OTTAWA, ON — The Nashville Predators dropped a 4–2 decision to the Ottawa Senators on Monday night at Canadian Tire Centre. Despite a determined third-period effort that saw the Predators cut the deficit in half, an early surge by Ottawa and penalty trouble proved too much to overcome.

The Senators capitalized on three power-play goals, while Nashville’s special teams came alive late with a man-advantage tally from defenseman Brian Dumoulin. Goaltender Jake Allen made 28 saves in the loss, while Dan Vladar turned aside 17 shots for Ottawa.

GAME RECAP

Ottawa opened the scoring at 5:41 of the first period when Jakob Chychrun found the back of the net on a power play. The Predators struggled to establish offensive rhythm early, managing only three shots in the opening frame while spending significant time shorthanded.

The Senators extended their lead in the second period, striking twice in quick succession. Alex Killorn made it 2–0 at 4:33 on the power play, and Mikael Granlund followed nine seconds later with Ottawa’s third goal. Adam Henrique added another power-play marker midway through the period, giving the Senators a 4–0 advantage after 40 minutes.

Nashville responded in the third with a strong push. Reilly Smith scored his first of the season at 4:23, finishing a setup from Jacob Trouba and Nino Niederreiter. Less than a minute later, Brian Dumoulin converted on the power play with a point shot through traffic, assisted by Robby Fabbri and Mark Jankowski. The Predators outshot Ottawa 11–9 in the final frame but were unable to close the gap.

FROM THE COACH

“We competed the right way in the third period and showed the kind of structure we expect,” said Head Coach Lane Lambert. “Discipline and execution have to be there from the start. The effort was there late, but we need to play our game for 60 minutes.”

BY THE NUMBERS

• Power Play: Nashville 1-for-5 (20.0%)
• Penalty Kill: Nashville 7-for-10 (70.0%)
• Shots on Goal: Ottawa 32 – Nashville 19
• Hits: Nashville 30 – Ottawa 21
• Faceoff Wins: Nashville 39 – Ottawa 43

PREDATORS HIGHLIGHTS

• Brian Dumoulin — 1 goal, 22:44 TOI, +1, 1 blocked shot
• Reilly Smith — 1 goal, 2 shots, +1 rating
• Jacob Trouba — 1 assist, 6 PIM, 4 hits, 3 blocks
• Nino Niederreiter — 1 assist, 11 faceoff wins, 19:05 TOI

UP NEXT

The Predators return home to Bridgestone Arena to face the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night.