The way the Nashville Predators started against the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 8, you'd assume a big loss was coming.
But then, with Nashville down 2-0 in the second period, something flipped and the Predators stunned the Bell Centre with an impressive 5-2 win.
"We were almost like two different teams," Ryan O'Reilly said.
O'Reilly scored the go-ahead goal with 3:16 left, tipping home a shot by Roman Josi on the power play. The Predators (2-1-1, 5 points) also had goals from Alex Kerfoot, Matthew Wood, and Adam Edstrom, who scored two empty net goals to seal the win.
"We're happy we won, but we have a much better game we can play," O'Reilly added. "We've got to stop the bleeding a lot quicker."
The Canadiens (1-2-1, 3 points) dominated puck possession
throughout the game, outshooting the Predators 25-13 through two periods and 34-20 in the game. But goalie Juuse Saros, who has started all four of Nashville's games so far, was the difference-maker, finishing with 32 saves.
"He was our best player tonight," O'Reilly said of Saros.
Juuse Saros 'the reason we won,' Andrew Brunette says
Through four games, it's clear the Predators have issues on defense. Those issues were exacerbated against a speedy Canadiens team, whose warming attack had Predators' defenders spinning in circles early in the game
If not for Saros, the game would have been out of reach early.
"He's the reason we won," coach Andrew Brunette said of Saros.
Several moments early on prove Brunette's point. After the Canadiens took a 1-0 lead on Nick Suzuki's rebound goal, Saros stopped six straight Montreal shots, including a wrap-around chance by Arber Xhekaj. In the third period, after the Predators tied the game 2-2, Saros made two saves on Josh Anderson, including a breakaway chance with around 11 minutes left.
According to Money Puck, Saros saved 1.78 goals above expected, allowing two goals on 3.78 expected chances for Montreal. Of the 34 shots by Montreal, 15 were deemed medium or high danger.
Two words: Juuse Saros. pic.twitter.com/bNlHl2pzKG
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) October 9, 2026
Saros's production the last two seasons has been meager: Since 2025, he has an .895 save percentage and 67 losses in 117 starts.
But through four games this season, Saros has a 2-1-1 record and a .916 save percentage. That's a good sign for the Predators, who will need to lean on their 31-year-old goaltender if they want to make the playoffs.
Next up, the Predators visit the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 10 (6 p.m. CT, The Spot Nashville 28).
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com, follow him on X at@alexdaugherty1 or check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why Juuse Saros in goal was key to Nashville Predators win over Canadiens
