Juuse Saros made 25 saves to end an eight-game losing streak and helped the Nashville Predators secure a 2-0 win over the struggling New York Rangers on Tuesday. Jonathan Marchessault and Adam Wilsby scored the goals for Nashville, with assists from Steven Stamkos and Filip Forsberg on both plays.
Saros was solid throughout the game, making key saves when needed and recording his third shutout of the season. He had entered the game with a 3.40 goals-against average and had gone 0-5-3 in his last eight starts. This victory helped the Predators win two of their last three games after an eight-game winless stretch.
The Rangers suffered their third straight loss and dropped 11 of their last 14 games after a strong start of 12-4-1. Despite registering 25 shots on goal, the Rangers struggled to get anything past Saros, as Nashville blocked 29 shots and prevented many others from reaching the net.
This was the first time the Rangers were shut out in the 2024-25 season. Igor Shesterkin, who gave up five goals in his last start, made 30 saves on 32 shots for New York in this game.
The Predators took the lead at 13:37 of the first period. Forsberg passed the puck to Stamkos in the slot, who then set up Marchessault for the opening goal.
The Rangers stayed aggressive offensively during the first two periods, but Saros kept them off the scoreboard. He stopped a breakaway attempt by Vincent Trocheck earlier in the game and made a crucial save on Adam Fox’s shot late in the third period.
Nashville sealed the win with a second goal at 8:01 of the third period. Wilsby carried the puck into the zone, dodged a check, and fired a shot past Shesterkin for his first career goal in his 10th NHL game.
