Predators Drop Final Game of the Season to the Ducks
The Nashville Predators’ 2025-2026 season came to its ultimate conclusion Thursday night as they suffered a 5-4 loss to the Anaheim Ducks in the season finale.
But the game was not without plenty of punches from both teams and plenty of offense. The Predators and Ducks were neck-and-neck just about the entire game. The Ducks started the scoring off just 90 seconds into the game with a goal from Cutter Gauthier off a cross-ice pass from Ryan Poehling, but that was just the beginning of the scoring early.
The Predators tied the game off a Steven Stamkos goal before taking a 2-1 lead from a power play goal from Filip Forsberg just five minutes later. Stamkos was also credited with the assist on the Forsberg goal.
The encouraging sign from the first goal, however, was the assist from Cole O’Hara in his NHL debut. O’Hara was called up from the Milwaukee Admirals before tonight’s game and ended up making a statement just a couple of shifts into his professional career.
But as with all games that are back and forth, the Ducks responded with a goal from Jackson LaCombe to tie the game at 2-2 with 22 seconds to go in the opening period. Then, just four minutes into the second period, the Ducks retook a 3-2 lead.
Nashville was not done yet, though. Forsberg struck again with a little over five minutes remaining in the second period with his 40th goal of the season and tied the game at 3-3. Forsberg found a way to get into the middle of the ice, received a pass from Luke Evangelista and sniped it over Ducks goalie Ville Husso’s left shoulder.
And then, the power play unit struck again moments later. The Predators drew a penalty seconds after it tied the game and made Anaheim pay with a power play goal from Steven Stamkos as the Predators took a 4-3 lead.
But of course, going along with the game that it was, Anaheim responded and tied the game at 4-4. Then, with a little under three minutes to go, the Ducks got the lead back and did not give it back as they went on to win 5-4, sending the Predators into the offseason 38-34-10.
Ultimately, the shots on goal for the Ducks were too many for the Predators and it ended up costing them in the end. Now, Nashville will go into the offseason and look to see who it can keep from its roster and who it can add to boost the roster for next season.
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Graham Baakko is a lead writer for both Nashville Predators On SI and Vanderbilt Commodores On SI, primarily covering football, basketball and baseball. Graham graduated from the University of Alabama, where he wrote for The Crimson White, WVUA-FM, WVUA 23 as he covered a variety of Crimson Tide sports. He also covered South Carolina athletics as an intern for GamecockCentral.