Nashville and Pittsburgh Meet Today in Finale of Global Series in Stockholm
Following a dramatic overtime thriller on Friday night in Stockholm, the Nashville Predators will try for a Swedish sweep today when they face the Pittsburgh Penguins to conclude the 2025 NHL Global Series at Avicii Arena. The Preds and Pens will face off at 3 p.m. in Stockholm – 8 a.m. CT back in Nashville – in the second and final meeting between the two clubs this season.
The trip to Sweden itself has been special, but a 2-1 overtime victory on Friday night was quite satisfying for the Preds. Not only did the result snap a five-game skid, but it also gave a boost of confidence to a team that was hoping to be rewarded in Stockholm.
Now, they’ll try to replicate that final result before heading back to Nashville while building off of Friday’s successes.
“It felt amazing, and it was a big emotional win for us,” Preds alternate captain Ryan O’Reilly said Saturday. “That’s just a resilient win that gives us momentum and life, but at the same time, it’s going to be a tough test for us tomorrow. They’re going to be hungry, and we have to match their intensity and their urgency and find a way. If we could get another win, that would give us some good momentum going home.”
The Predators dressed 11 forwards and seven defensemen on Friday with Tyson Jost and Joakim Kemell serving as healthy scratches. Nashville will not hold a morning skate today ahead of the afternoon start in Stockholm.
After going almost 59 minutes of regulation without finding the back of the net, Filip Forsberg tied the game with 1:10 to play before Steven Stamkos potted the winner just 44 seconds into overtime for a thrilling 2-1 victory on Friday night.
Nashville’s goal with 1:10 remaining in regulation is the latest game-tying tally in a regular-season contest outside North America, besting the previous mark the Rangers hit during the 2011 Premiere Series (57:45). Stamkos’ goal was the fastest overtime goal in a regular-season game outside North America, besting the previous mark set by Ottawa’s Mark Stone (0:59 at 2017 Global Series).
Forsberg leads the Preds with eight goals and 15 points, followed by O’Reilly with six goals and 13 points. Rookie Matthew Wood has six goals as well, and he, along with Michael Bunting (4g-6a), Erik Haula (3g-7a) and Luke Evangelista (2g-8a) all have 10 points apiece. Juuse Saros, who got the win on Friday, is 6-6-3 in net; Justus Annunen is 0-3-1.
The Penguins have now dropped five of their last six outings overall. Evgeni Malkin, who scored on Friday, leads Pittsburgh with 18 assists and 22 points in 18 games, followed by Sidney Crosby with 11 goals and 20 points. Bryan Rust has five goals and 15 points; Anthony Mantha has eight goals and 13 points. Goaltender Tristan Jarry is on Injured Reserve for the Pens; Arturs Silovs is 4-2-4, while rookie Sergei Murashov lost his only start.
Skjei speaks to media in Stockholm.
Nashville last played abroad in the 2022 NHL Global Series Czechia, when they faced the San Jose Sharks in two regular-season games in Prague on Oct. 7-8. The Predators won the first game, 4-1, with Juuse Saros stopping 30-of-31 shots he faced. Nashville defeated the Sharks in the second meeting by a score of 3-2.
This event marks the first time that two NHL teams meet again in regular-season games overseas; the Predators and Penguins initially faced off 25 years ago in Saitama, Japan, to begin the 2000-01 regular season as part of GAME ONe Japan 2000 (the League’s last regular-season venture to Asia).
Nashville’s win on Friday was its fourth outside of North America, tying the Panthers for the second most among all teams, behind the Senators (5).
Filip Forsberg will skate in his 800th career game on Sunday; he can also record his 700th career NHL point in his home country. Forsberg ranks seventh in goals (326), 14th in power play goals (85) and 16th in points (696) among all-time Swedish-born NHLers.
Adam Wilsby, a Stockholm, Sweden, native, played an NHL game in his hometown for the first time on Friday. He and Forsberg joined the list of 75 European players who have played an NHL game in their home country, including 43 who have tallied a point (skaters and goaltenders).
O’Reilly and Wilsby speak to media in Stockholm.
Filip Forsberg is one game from 800 and four points from 700 in his NHL career.
Michael Bunting is one goal from 100 in his NHL career.
Ryan O’Reilly is three power play goals from 100 in his career.
Steven Stamkos (230) is three power play goals from passing Dino Ciccarelli (232) for the 10th-most in NHL history and five points from 1200 in his career.
Luke Evangelista is four points from 100 in his NHL career.
Coverage of the finale of the Global Series begins at 7:30 a.m. CT with the Predators LIVE! pregame show on FanDuel Sports Network South. Play-by-play announcer Willy Daunic and Chris Mason will have the call on the television side from Stockholm, while Pete Weber will call the game on 102.5 The Game and the Predators Radio Network.
Brunette speaks to media in Stockholm.
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