The Nashville Predators finally have a victory in the 2024-25 NHL season after a dominant 4-0 win over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night. Juuse Saros was stellar in net, stopping all 33 shots he faced to earn his 25th career shutout.
Ryan O’Reilly’s power play goal late in the first period gave the previously winless Predators a goal. He redirected a shot from captain Roman Josi past Jeremy Swayman to give Nashville the early lead.
The Predators then doubled their advantage in the second period when Tommy Novak buried a rebound just after a Boston penalty had expired. Luke Evangelista and Brady Skjei picked up the assists on Novak’s third goal of the year.
“We knew we needed to come out with a lot of energy and focus tonight,” said Novak after the game. “Juuse was incredible on the net, and we were able to capitalize on our chances. It feels wonderful to finally get that first win.”
Saros was indeed the star of the night, making several key saves in the third period to preserve the shutout. He turned away a dangerous breakaway chance by David Pastrnak early in the final frame and also fought off a Boston power play opportunity.
“Juuse was absolutely dialed in tonight,” praised Head Coach John Hynes. “He made the saves he needed to and really settled us down when Boston started pushing. This was a complete team effort, and I’m proud of the way our guys competed for the full 60 minutes.”
Gustav Nyquist added an insurance goal midway through the third period, converting on a 2-on-1 rush to make it 3-0. And Evangelista capped the scoring with an empty-net tally in the final minutes.
The victory was a much-needed boost for a Predators squad that had struggled out of the gate, entering the game as the only team in the NHL without a point in the standings. Against the esteemed Bruins, who they shut out for the first time this season, they demonstrated improved chemistry and structure.
“We know we have a lot of talent and experience on this team,” said O’Reilly, who also recorded an assist. “But it was important for us to put it all together tonight and play a full 60-minute game. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come as we look to build some momentum.”
The Predators will try to make it two in a row on Friday when they visit the Chicago Blackhawks. They then return home to face the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.
As for the Bruins, the loss snaps their three-game point streak. Jeremy Swayman made 38 saves in a strong effort but ultimately couldn’t prevent the shutout.
“We just didn’t execute well enough tonight,” said Boston Head Coach Jim Montgomery. There were an excessive number of penalties and insufficient persistent pressure in the offensive zone. Credit to Nashville; they played a disciplined, structured game, and Saros was exceptional. We’ll need to regroup quickly before hosting Dallas on Thursday.”
The Bruins will look to get back on track at home, where they’ve traditionally been dominant. But after a somewhat uneven start to the season, they’ll need to find a way to recapture their early-season form.
For the Predators, this victory could be a much-needed confidence boost as they aim to climb up the standings in the competitive Central Division. With Saros leading the way and the offense clicking, Nashville appears poised to make a push in the coming weeks.