A costly home loss to the Sharks jeopardizes Nashville's playoff push. Evangelista's goals weren't enough as the Predators face elimination.
The Nashville Predators' playoff hopes are hanging by a thread after losing to the San Jose Sharks, 3-2, at home on Monday.
Nashville will need Los Angeles to lose in any sort of fashion in order for the Predators to have a chance to compete for a playoff spot on Thursday against the Ducks.
"We got what we deserve," Ryan O'Reilly said. "We didn't start the way we needed to. We got down and couldn't find a way back. We need a miracle now. It's disappointing. It's brutal."
Luke Evangelista had the lone Predators goal of the contest, going bardown on Alex Nedeljkovic in the late third period. It was his 11th goal of the season.
Evangelista scored again late in the third to cut it back down to a one-goal Sharks lead.
"It's a pretty s----- feeling. That's all I can really say," Evangelista said on the result.
A boarding call on Steven Stamkos in the second period, but the Sharks are on the power play. Igor Chernyshov wristed in a kick-out pass from William Eklund that beat Justus Annunen's blocker side.
In the third period, a disputed icing call on the Predators set a face-off in Nashville's zone. The puck was dumped into the Sharks' zone, but was touched by Alex Nedeljkovic before crossing the line.
According to Predators head coach Andrew Brunette, the officials ruled that Nedeljkovic had stopped the puck after it had crossed the line.
Off the face-off, Justin Barron got the puck back, but turned it over along the boards. That allowed Macklin Celebrini to net his 43rd goal of the season and put the Sharks up by two.
He added an empty goal with 1:45 left in the game to add some insurance to the Sharks' victory.
"You feel gutted," Brunette said on the loss. "You're disappointed that we didn't get the result, and that we really didn't get to our game fast enough. We played the margins late when you're down and we know how that story usually goes.
Justus Aunnen made 20 saves on 22 shots, snapping a two-game win streak. Nashville went with Annunen over Juuse Saros following a pair of wins over Anaheim and Minnesota.
This was also San Jose's first win over the Predators since Nov. 9, 2019, which was a 2-1 shootout Sharks win in San Jose. It's the Sharks' first win in Nashville since Oct. 23, 2018, a 5-4 win.
Nashville falls to 38-33-10 on the year, sitting at 86 points. It is staring at the possibility of missing the playoffs for a second straight season.
"It's tough. You kind of hope for a miracle now," Roman Josi said. "It just wasn't our best game. We couldn't get to our game as we have in the past couple of games. Now you look at the scoreboard and the other games and hope for a miracle."