Juuse Saros made 25 saves to snap a personal eight-game losing streak, Jonathan Marchessault and Adam Wilsby each scored and the host Nashville Predators posted a 2-0 victory over the reeling New York Rangers on Tuesday.
Steven Stamkos and Filip Forsberg assisted on both goals.
Saros was stout all night and rose to the occasion when needed to record his third shutout of the season.
The veteran netminder entered this contest with a 3.40 goals-against average while going 0-5-3 in his previous eight starts. However, he stood tall in helping the Predators win for the second time in three games following an eight-game skid (also 0-5-3).
New York took its third straight defeat and fell for the 11th time in 14 games after starting 12-4-1. The Rangers managed 25 shots on target, but Nashville blocked 29, while others were deflected or missed the net completely, resulting in New York getting shut out for the first time in 2024-25.
New York has failed to record at least three goals in four of the last five games.
The Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin, who allowed five goals in his previous start Saturday against the Los Angeles Kings, stopped 30 of 32 shots in Nashville.
The Predators opened the scoring at 13:37 of the first period, and did so via three of the team’s biggest stars. On the push, Forsberg got the puck to Stamkos in the slot, who sent it for Marchessault to promptly put past Shesterkin.
New York was active offensively through the first two periods, but Saros came through. There was also a sense of obvious tightness to the Rangers.
Saros, who stopped Vincent Trocheck’s breakaway attempt earlier in the contest, also got a pad on Adam Fox’s low liner off a clear look with 12:53 remaining in the third period.
Nashville added some insurance with 8:01 left in the regulation when Wilsby took the puck into the zone, made a nifty move to avoid a check and beat the screened Shesterkin. It was the defenseman’s first career goal, in his 10th NHL game.
–Field Level Media
