Ryan O’Reilly earned his first hat trick of the season and the seventh of his career, Juuse Saros turned away 39 shots and the Nashville Predators beat the Colorado Avalanche 7-3 in Denver on Friday.
O’Reilly, who added an assist, last had a hat trick on Jan. 4, 2025, against the Calgary Flames. Two of his seven have come against Colorado, the team that drafted him in the second round in 2009.
Filip Forsberg recorded a goal and two assists, Steven Stamkos and Michael Bunting each had a goal and an assist and Michael McCarron also scored for the Predators. Roman Josi finished with three assists while Luke Evangelista contributed two assists.
It was the first regulation loss at home this season for the Avalanche, who started the campaign with at least one point in 22 straight games (19-0-3). They have lost two in a row (0-1-1) and are 2-1-1 to start their season-high seven-game homestand.
Brock Nelson had two goals, Martin Necas also scored and Mackenzie Blackwood made 23 saves in his return to the Colorado lineup after missing six games due to a lower-body injury.
The teams combined for four goals in the first period, two of them in the first 84 seconds.
O’Reilly gave Nashville the lead when he got a pass from Forsberg in the slot and lifted a backhander over Blackwood’s pads just 30 second in.
Nelson tied it when he knocked in a rebound off a shot from Brent Burns at 1:24.
O’Reilly made it 2-1 at 7:32 when he sent a pass to the crease and it went off the skate blade of Colorado’s Sam Girard and through Blackwood’s legs.
Nelson evened it up again when he deflected Josh Manson’s shot from the point with the shaft of his stick at 11:16.
O’Reilly broke the tie when he deflected Evangelista’s shot from the point at 13:01 of the middle period, and Buntin made it 4-2 off a Stamkos assist five minutes later.
Necas scored at 1:09 of the third to pull the Avalanche within 4-3, but Forsberg scored a power-play goal at 15:13 and Stamkos and McCarron added empty-net tallies.
