Looking Back at Some Notable Comebacks in Nashville Predators History
It doesn't get much more thrilling than watching your favorite team make a huge comeback for the win.
November 20th, 2023: Yakov Trenin Calls Game for Preds over Avs
Why don't we just start with a comeback win that's already happened this current season?
The Predators were down 3-2 going into the final 60 seconds in regulation against the Colorado Avalanche, one of the NHL's best team no less. It looked like the Predators were destined to lose another hard fought and heartbreaking game.
With just 38 seconds left, Filip Forsberg batted a loose puck to the back of the net to tie things up for the Predators. Nothing too crazy. Teams find ways to tie the score up in the last minute all the time. What happens next is why I have to put this on the list.
At this point you're thinking, alright we got it to overtime at least and stole a point. Yakov Trenin had other things in mind. After Cale Makar inexplicably wipes out going after the puck in his own zone, the Predators pounced on it and Trenin does the rest.
The Predators would score two goals 16 seconds apart to completely stun the Avalanche and get the 4-3 win. Call it recency bias, but I'm not leaving this one off.
February 13, 2018: Preds Score Four Unanswered to Beat Blues
Time to go back to the Presidents Trophy season of 2017-18. The Predators were taking on division rival St. Louis who wasn't too far behind them in the standings.
The Blues would race out to a 3-0 lead midway in the 2nd period and it looked like this just wasn't going to be the night for the Predators. They were in the midst of an outstanding season to this point, and were about to really go on a long stretch of winning after this comeback win.
The Predators would finally get on the board just over nine minutes into the 3rd period with a goal from Calle Jarnkrok, and the comeback was on with still 11 minutes left to keep chipping away.
Then a big penalty kill came up with the Predators still down two goals and under six minutes left in regulation. That's when, of all people, Austin Watson would get a shorthanded goal to stun the Blues power play and give the Predators a real chance to complete the comeback.
Watson again would score just over a minute later to tie the game at three, and then Filip Forsberg would win it in overtime on a penalty shot.
Safe to say Watson isnt getting any holiday cards from Preds fans in 2023, but at least on this night in 2018 he was the unlikely hero scoring twice to tie the game.
February 27, 2020: Granny Scores With 1 Second Left against Flames
Ok, so this one isn't a colossal comeback in terms of a multi-goal deficit, but the to score inside one second left in regulation to tie it up just doesn't happen very often in hockey. That's more of an NBA thing.
When the Predators and Flames get together, you can always expect plenty of drama and that's exactly how this game went. The Predators gave up the go-ahead goal to the Flames inside 60 seconds remaining, deflating the home crowd in a game where both teams put up a lot of shots.
There would be a mad scramble in front of the net and Mikael Granlund would beat David Rittich for the tying goal to send it to overtime. A literal buzzer beater in hockey.
Overtime would come and Granlun would strike again just 1:20 in the extra frame, sending the Predators to the unlikely victory and the Flames left shellshocked. It would put Granlund at 17 goals on the season, and Saros would make 36 saves in the win.
I know the Predators didn't come back from three goals down to win this one, but I can't do a comeback list when a team scores with less than one second remaining and then go on to win it in overtime. I just can't.
April 17, 2017: Preds Comeback from 2 Down in 3rd Period to Take Game 3 from Chicago
Predators fans will never forget the glorious sweep of the heavy underdog Chicago Blackhawks in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, that series could've been drastically different if not for a gutsy comeback win in Game 3 of that 1st round series.
The Predators had just stolen both games in Chicago and still there were people out there, including myself, that were worried that the Blackhawks would come storming back in Game 3 and turn the tables on the underdogs Predators.
After a scoreless first period, the Blackhawks were now up to seven periods to open the series without scoring a goal. However, they would score twice in the second period to take the 2-0 lead into the third period. They were getting a performance for the ages from Corey Crawford in net, who would go on to make 46 saves in the losing effort.
In the third period, the Predators kept grinding away looking to beat Crawford finally. Eventually Filip Forsberg would break through just over four minutes into the third period, but it would take 10 minutes more of game clock before Forsberg would score again and tie it.
In overtime the Predators knew that if they dropped Game 3 at home it would allow the Blackhawks right back into the series. This was a vital game to ending the Blackhawks and putting them in a hole that couldn't climb out of.
Kevin Fiala would score over 16 minutes into the overtime period to give the Predators a 3-0 series lead. A huge exhale from Predators fans everywhere on that night.
This goes down as the only multi-goal third period comeback in Predators postseason history.