O’Reilly scores late winner, Predators come back to beat Canadiens 5-2
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MONTREAL – Ryan O’Reilly scored the winning goal with 3:16 remaining as the Nashville Predators erased a 2-0 deficit and escaped with a 5-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
The veteran centre redirected a point shot from Roman Josi on the power play 59 seconds after Canadiens defenceman Mike Matheson tripped Steven Stamkos in the neutral zone.
Adam Edstrom added a pair of empty-net goals to secure Nashville’s victory despite being heavily outshot.
Alexander Kerfoot, with an assist, and Matthew Wood also scored for the Predators (2-1-1), while Juuse Saros stood tall with 32 saves. Stamkos added two assists for the visitors.
Nick Suzuki and Alex Newhook replied for Montreal (1-2-1), extending its winless stretch to three games. Jacob Fowler stopped 15 shots in his first NHL start of the season.
After a one-sided but goalless first period, Suzuki opened the scoring for Montreal 3:12 into the second during four-on-four play. The Canadiens captain collected a loose puck amid a scramble in front of the net and slid a backhand between Saros’ legs for his third goal of the season.
Newhook doubled Montreal’s lead at 8:50, finishing off Josh Anderson’s feed after minutes of sustained pressure in Nashville’s zone. The Bell Centre crowd soon broke into “Olé! Olé! Olé!” chants as the Canadiens continued to tilt the ice, until the Predators struck back.
Kerfoot quieted the building with 4:54 remaining in the period, deftly redirecting Adam Wilsby’s point shot past Fowler on the glove side.
Wood then tied the game on the power play with 32 seconds left in the period, scoring amid a crowd of players in Fowler’s crease. Anderson was assessed a minor penalty for cross-checking Stamkos and dislodging the net moments before the puck crossed the goal line.
TAKEAWAYS
Canadiens: Fowler, 21, was recalled from the AHL’s Laval Rocket on Wednesday afternoon, hours after Montreal backup Samuel Montembeault exited practice with an apparent leg or groin injury. Fowler went 9-6-2 with a 2.43 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage in 17 NHL games last season.
Predators: Kerfoot, who previously played in Colorado, Toronto, Arizona and Utah, scored his first goal for Nashville after signing a two-year, US$7-million contract with the Predators in free agency.
KEY MOMENT
Saros denied Anderson on a breakaway with eight minutes remaining in regulation after Predators defenceman Brady Skjei broke his stick on a slapshot at the blue line.
KEY STAT
Montreal’s loss ended a streak of five straight wins against Nashville dating to March 5, 2024.
COMING UP
Canadiens: Host the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.
Predators: Visit the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 8, 2026.