A late penalty proved fatal as the Ducks snatched victory, denying the Predators a fitting season finale despite offensive fireworks.
A four-minute double-minor for high sticking on Tyson Jost in the final four minutes of the game proved costly in the Nashville Predators' 5-4 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday at Bridgestone Arena.
With 3:57 left in regulation and the game tied, Jost caught Troy Terry in the mouth with a high stick and drew blood. 1:03 into the power play, Terry put away a rebound from Mikael Granlund to give Anaheim the go-ahead goal.
Both Filip Forsberg and Steven Stamkos were flirting with hat tricks as they had two goals apiece.
"It was a fun hockey game," Predators head coach Andrew Brunette said. "You got some goals and showed some of our youth in the organization that is on its way. Too bad with the ending. It was a game you liked to see keep going...We competed hard. We played hard."
Stamkos scored off a slot feed from Cole O'Hara to tie the game, 1 -1, and was O'Hara's first NHL point. O'Hara was informed after morning skate that he'd be making his NHL debut and had family members fly in for the game.
He skated on the first line with Ryan O'Reilly and Stamkos. Aiden Fink was set to make his NHL debut as well, but was scratched due to visa issues.
"Honestly, it was really special playing with Factor (O'Reilly) and Stamkos," O'Hara said. "It was a really cool experience, something I'll remember for a long time. It was nice to see Stamkos put that one in."
Filip Forsberg found the back of the net on the power play, tipping in a shot from Ryan Ufko to make it 2-1.
Anaheim took a 3-2 lead in the second period before Forsberg scored off a wrister in the low slot to tie the game at three. Stamkos then scored his second of the night on a one-time feed on the power play.
Stamkos finishes the season with 42 goals, which is tied for third for most goals in a season in franchise history. Forsberg's 40 goals are the fourth most in franchise history and are the third time in his career he's surpassed the 40-goal plateau.
"You knew they'd play with pride and professionalism," Brunette said. "They carry themselves the same way they've carried themselves for all 82 games. "They really want to get Fil (Forsberg) to 40. They wanted to find some joy in tonight and play for something.
"The young kids are playing for opportunities, and the older guys are playing for Fil and the fans."
Similar to their April 7 meeting, the Ducks put 40 shots on net. It was a different result as Juuse Saros made 35 saves on 40 shots, allowing five goals. He finishes with a 28-22-8 record.
Nashville finishes the 2025-26 season with a 38-34-10 record, finishing three points outside of a playoff spot and sixth in the Central Division. The Predators tied the Blues in points at 86 apiece, but St. Louis has the regulation wins tiebreaker.
Ryan O'Reilly and Filip Forsberg led the Predators in scoring with 78 points each. Roman Josi led the defensive corps with 55 points in 68 games.
"We didn't quit, and we can hang our hat on not quitting," Brunette said on the season. "That paid dividends this year, and that is part of the identity or a little bit of the culture that they've created here right now. They should be pretty proud of what they did. 

"Obviously, it hurts right now. It's gonna hurt for a couple of weeks. Then we reconvene, regroup, and go forward."