Predators Suffer Third Straight Loss to Blue Jackets; McCarron Traded

In a tightly contested matchup, the Columbus Blue Jackets overcame a one-goal deficit to defeat the Nashville Predators 3-2 on Tuesday night in Columbus. This marks the Predators’ third consecutive loss, a troubling trend as the season progresses.

The Nashville front office was active even as the game unfolded, trading center Michael McCarron to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a 2028 second-round draft pick. Meanwhile, Cole Smith, who was initially scratched, saw just three seconds of ice time, raising speculation about his potential departure.

Adam Fantilli opened the scoring early in the game, executing a well-coordinated tic-tac-toe play that put the Blue Jackets up 1-0. However, the Predators responded late in the second period when Filip Forsberg capitalized on a power play, redirecting a shot from Steven Stamkos. This marked Forsberg’s sixth power-play goal of the season and his third point in four games, underscoring his recent offensive surge.

Ryan O’Reilly was credited with a unique own goal for the Blue Jackets in the second period, as Ivan Provorov inadvertently knocked the puck into his own net while attempting to clear it. This gave Nashville their first and only lead of the night, but it was short-lived.

In the third period, the Blue Jackets struck back when Sean Monahan executed a 2-on-1 break with Charlie Coyle, scoring to tie the game. This marked the second consecutive game where Nashville allowed a shorthanded goal on the rush, highlighting an area of concern for their penalty kill.

With just six minutes remaining, Damon Severson’s shot was tipped in by Coyle, delivering the decisive goal for Columbus. Although Nashville challenged the play for goaltender interference, the challenge was deemed unsuccessful, securing the victory for the Blue Jackets.

Since late January, the Predators have struggled, posting a record of 3-2-4 over their last nine games. Goalie Justus Annunen made 24 saves on 27 shots, but the team will need to regroup quickly.

Injury concerns also loomed as Erik Haula briefly exited the game after a puck struck his leg, though he returned later in the period. Ryan O’Reilly, however, sustained an eye injury in the third and did not return.

With this loss, Nashville’s record fell to 27-26-8. They will look to bounce back when they host the Boston Bruins on Thursday at 7 p.m. CST.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.