NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Interstat) — The Nashville Predators scored three times in the third period to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3 on Saturday night at Bridgestone Arena. Nicolas Roy gave Toronto a first-period lead, but Nashville answered with two goals in the second from Adam Wilsby and Erik Haula. John Tavares tied it for the Maple Leafs early in the third before the Predators seized control. Luke Evangelista and Steven Stamkos scored 27 seconds apart midway through the frame, and Cole Smith added an empty-netter after Toronto’s Bobby McMann brought the Maple Leafs within one. Juuse Saros made 19 saves for the win before an announced crowd of 17,159. McMann had a goal and an assist for Toronto. The loss dropped the Maple Leafs to 15-19, while Nashville improved to 14-20.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Interstat) — The Nashville Predators erupted for five unanswered goals, overcoming an early deficit to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3 on Saturday night at Bridgestone Arena. A crowd of 17,159 watched the Predators rally from a 1-0 first-period hole with a pair of goals in the second and three more in the third to snap a two-game skid and improve to 14-20. The Maple Leafs, who entered as road favorites, lost for the fifth time in six games to fall to 15-19. The game unfolded in starkly different acts. Toronto controlled much of the opening frame and was rewarded at the 18:28 mark when Nicolas Roy deflected a point shot past Nashville goaltender Juuse Saros. Assists went to Bobby McMann and Nicholas Robertson. The Predators found their footing in the second period, tying the game on a power-play goal at 8:56. With Toronto’s Jake McCabe in the box for tripping, Erik Haula tipped a Roman Josi shot past Maple Leafs netminder Joseph Woll. Steven Stamkos earned the secondary assist. Nashville took its first lead less than ten minutes later. Defenseman Adam Wilsby, from the top of the left circle, fired a wrist shot through traffic for his first goal of the season at 18:26, assisted by Ryan O’Reilly. The third period belonged entirely to the home team. Luke Evangelista, a Toronto native, extended the lead to 3-1 at 7:18, finishing a backhand chance after a slick pass from defenseman Brady Skjei. Stamkos, the veteran center, put the game seemingly out of reach at 14:26, taking a Filip Forsberg feed and snapping a wrist shot from the slot for his 13th goal of the season to make it 4-1. Toronto showed a flicker of life when McMann answered just over two minutes later, cutting the deficit to 4-2 with a sharp-angle wrist shot at 16:06. Robertson and Easton Cowan assisted. Any hope of a Maple Leafs comeback was extinguished 45 seconds later. Just after a Nashville offensive zone faceoff win, Cole Smith collected a loose puck and whipped a shot past Woll to restore the three-goal cushion at 16:51. Skjei notched his second assist of the night on the play, with Michael McCarron also getting a helper. John Tavares added a late power-play goal for Toronto with 2:03 remaining, deflecting a Jake McCabe shot to provide the final margin, but the Maple Leafs could not muster further offense. Saros earned the win with 19 saves on 22 shots. Woll took the loss, stopping 37 of 42 Nashville attempts in a busy night. The Predators dominated the shot count, 42-22. Skjei was a force for Nashville from the blue line, logging two assists, two shots, and three hits while being a central figure in limiting Toronto’s top players. McMann led the Maple Leafs with a goal and an assist. The result defied several pregame projections. National Statistical’s game simulator had predicted a 3-2 Nashville victory, while its ELO system gave Toronto a 59.5% probability to win. The Maple Leafs had been installed as 1.5-goal favorites, and the combined eight total goals sailed over the posted over/under line of 6. The teams had met once previously this season, with Toronto securing a 7-4 home victory on Oct. 14. The schedule offers little respite for either club. Toronto continues a road trip against the Dallas Stars on Sunday. Nashville remains at home to host the New York Rangers, also on Sunday.

Preview: Maple Leafs at Predators, Saturday, December 20, 2025 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Interstat) — Two teams looking to build momentum before the holiday break will meet Saturday when the Toronto Maple Leafs visit the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena. The Maple Leafs (15-17-0) arrive after a 3-2 home victory over Chicago on Tuesday, snapping a three-game skid. Toronto has shown recent inconsistency, mixing a dominant 5-1 road win at Carolina on Dec. 4 with lopsided losses to Edmonton and San Jose this month. A key to Toronto’s success has been the play of goaltender Joseph Woll. In his last six starts, Woll is 4-2-0 with a .941 save percentage, including a 35-save performance in a 2-1 overtime win at Columbus on Nov. 26. He stopped 23 of 25 shots in the win over Chicago. Offensively, Auston Matthews, who had a goal and an assist against the Blackhawks, remains a constant threat. The Predators (13-20-0) are trying to halt a slide after a 4-1 home loss to Carolina on Wednesday. Nashville has lost four of its last five games, with the lone win a 5-2 victory at St. Louis on Dec. 15. Their season has been marked by defensive struggles, allowing four or more goals in eight of their 20 losses. Nashville will rely on workhorse goaltender Juuse Saros, who has started nine of the team’s last 10 games. Saros has been busy, facing 30 or more shots in seven of those appearances. He was sharp in a 30-save, 2-1 overtime win at Florida on Dec. 4, but was pulled after allowing four goals on 16 shots in a loss to Florida on Nov. 24. In the only previous meeting this season, Toronto’s offense erupted in a 7-4 home win over Nashville on Oct. 14. The Predators will aim for a different result on home ice, where they are 8-9-0 this season. Following this game, both teams face a quick turnaround. Toronto travels to Dallas for a game Sunday, while Nashville hosts the New York Rangers on Sunday. The matchup features two netminders capable of stealing a game, with Woll’s recent hot streak contrasting with Saros’s heavy workload. Which team can find more consistent play in front of its goalie may decide this interconference clash.