Tuch's Third-Period Winner Lifts Washington Past Nashville 4-3

Alex Tuch scored at 10:09 of the third period to give Washington a 4-3 win over Nashville, capping a game that swung leads four times across 60 minutes. Cole Hutson's two-goal night was the engine that kept Washington alive every time Nashville threatened to pull away.

Nashville drew first blood at 12:48 of the first when Filip Forsberg ripped a slap shot past Charlie Lindgren — his fourth of the season, set up by Ryan O'Reilly and Roman Josi. That was the first score-margin shift of the night, and it looked like Nashville had the early grip on this game. Washington answered fast: Cole Hutson wired a wrist shot past Juuse Saros at 16:13, with Jack St. Ivany and Pierre-Luc Dubois picking up the assists, and the first period ended level at one.

The second period is where this game really earned its keep. Boone Jenner put Washington ahead 2-1 at 4:15, finishing a wrist shot with Aliaksei Protas and Martin Fehervary assisting. Nashville's Forsberg responded again at 9:09 — his fifth of the season, this time a wrist shot with Josi collecting his 13th assist — to knot it back at two. Then Hutson struck again at 13:46, a snap shot with Protas and St. Ivany assisting, and Washington went to the third up 3-2. Hutson finished with two goals and Protas with two assists; those two appear to have formed a connection worth watching.

Nashville refused to fold. Ross Colton tied it at 3-3 just 6:34 into the third with a wrist shot, Roman Josi picking up his third point of the night — his 14th assist of the season — on the play. Josi's three-point performance looks like the best individual effort on either side, even in a losing cause. But Washington had the last word: Tuch scored his 10th of the season at 10:09, a wrist shot off feeds from Jordan Kyrou and Jakob Chychrun, and that was the difference. Lindgren stopped 25 of 28 shots to secure the win; Saros stopped 25 of 29 on the other end in a losing effort. Seven goals, two goalies who were largely solid, and a Nashville team that appears to be giving up leads at an uncomfortable rate — the Predators have now dropped a game after squandering a third-period tie, and that's a pattern worth monitoring as the 2026-27 season hits the one-month mark.