Stamkos Goal Upheld on Review, Lifting Predators Past Avalanche

Stamkos’ first goal survived a tense review after Cale Makar swiped at it on the goal line, and Nashville snapped a two-game skid.

Oct 25, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators center Steven Stamkos (91) celebrates his goal against the Colorado Avalanche during the first period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

NASHVILLE — Steven Stamkos did it again. The Predators' top scorer in 2026-27 scored his sixth and seventh goals of the season, leading Nashville to a 6-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche. Stamkos upped his career tally to 630 goals, just 10 behind Dave Andreychuk for 16th place in NHL history in career goals.

His first goal put the Predators up 2-0 near the halfway mark of the first period, but it almost didn't count. Ryan O'Reilly, Mavrik Bourque, and Stamkos combined on a counterattack that finished with O'Reilly finding Stamkos on the left side for a good look at the Avalanche net.

Scott Wedgewood got a piece of Stamkos' shot, but only enough to slow it down. Colorado's star defenseman Cale Makar stood on the goal line and swiped at the puck but missed on his first attempt. His second swipe cleared the line, and play continued until the officials called for a review.

"I wasn't confident when I skated back to the bench, and they were all telling me it didn't go in," Stamkos said. "I had already just accepted the fact that it was no-goal. So when they started showing it on the jumbotron, I was like, 'wait a minute.' I thought during the play, as soon as he whiffed on the first one, that the momentum was going to take it in. I tried to sell it a little bit and forget that there's replays, but I still haven't seen an angle of it in. So I'm looking forward to seeing that."

The review favored Nashville, doubling the Predators' lead and stacking the home side's momentum as they desperately sought a positive result after losing both road games last week, including a heartbreaking overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins the night before.

"I think the goal, I felt it was in live," Nashville head coach Andrew Brunette said. "Kind of took a quick angle and then didn't really get a great picture, just felt in, and obviously, the angles we got weren't there right away until the end, and then we saw that it was in. So it was a big goal. It was a heck of a play all the way around. It was a beautiful goal. I'm glad it went in."

Nashville built a 5-0 cushion before Colorado finally got on the scoreboard late in the second period. The Avalanche scored again to open the third period, cutting the lead to 5-2, but Stamkos scored on a late power play for his second of the game, slamming the door shut and securing the Predators' victory.

The Predators have 12 points on the year and sit one-point behind the Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks for the Western Conference Wild Card spots as the franchise enters the last week of the opening month of the year.

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