The Nashville Predators‘ decision to sign Steven Stamkos continues to pay dividends as the veteran forward delivered another clutch performance, scoring the overtime winner in a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday at Ball Arena.
Reflecting on his game-winning goal, Stamkos highlighted the importance of capitalizing on Nashville's power-play opportunity, particularly after failing to convert on his earlier chances.
“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 shot that I wanted to, and that one felt really good coming off the stick.”
Stamkos earned the opportunity by drawing a hooking penalty against Colorado defenseman Devon Toews late in overtime. Roman Josi then set him up at the left face-off circle, where the veteran forward unleashed a one-timer past Mackenzie Blackwood at 2:18 to secure Nashville's victory.
The goal was also a milestone for the 36-year-old. His 247th career power-play goal moved him past Phil Esposito and tied Luc Robitaille for fifth place on the NHL's all-time list.
Nashville also received goals from Ross Colton and rookie Vitali Pinchuk, who recorded his first NHL goal. Ryan O'Reilly contributed two assists, while Justus Annunen stopped 30 shots.
The victory extended the Predators' winning streak to three games and gave them four wins in their last six outings. Nashville improved to 7-4-5 with 19 points, moving within one point of Colorado, which fell to 9-6-2 following its second consecutive loss.
For Stamkos, the overtime finish capped an important team effort and another valuable step forward for Nashville.