O'Reilly's Hat-Trick Leads Predators to 7-3 Victory Over Avalanche
DENVER (AP) -- Ryan O'Reilly's dominant performance resulted in his seventh career hat-trick, and he also contributed an assist. The Nashville Predators secured a 7-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night, marking the Avalanche's first home regulation loss of the season. This was O'Reilly's first hat-trick since January 4, 2025, against the Calgary Flames, and his second against his former team. O'Reilly spent his initial six seasons with the Avalanche before being traded to the Buffalo Sabres before the 2015-16 season.
Nashville's other notable contributors included Filip Forsberg, who scored and assisted, and Juuse Saros, who made 39 saves. For the Avalanche, Brock Nelson scored twice, Martin Necas also found the back of the net, and Mackenzie Blackwood made 23 saves in his return to the lineup after a lower-body injury. Despite Blackwood's efforts, the Avalanche couldn't prevent their second consecutive home loss, where they hold an impressive 19-1-3 record.
O'Reilly's first goal came just 30 seconds into the game, and his second was an assist from the goal line, deflected by Colorado defenseman Sam Girard at 7:32. Nelson responded with two goals of his own, cleaning up a rebound 54 seconds after O'Reilly's first and later in the first period, deflecting Josh Manson's shot. Nelson's recent form has been exceptional, with 14 goals in his last 16 games and 24 this season.
The Predators took control in the second period, with Saros making 15 saves and O'Reilly scoring his 16th of the season at 13:01, followed by Michael Bunting's two-goal lead at 18:04. Necas narrowed the gap to one goal in the third period, but Forsberg responded with a power-play goal at 15:13. Steven Stamkos and Michael McCarron added empty-net goals.
Upcoming Matches:
- Predators: At the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night.
- Avalanche: Hosting the Washington Capitals on Monday afternoon.
For more NHL coverage, visit AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Michael Kelly, The Associated Press
