Nashville Predators forward Ryan O'Reilly speaks to the media following the team's 5-1 win over the Dallas Stars in their season finale at The Nashville Predators [http://thn.com/nashville] (30-44-8, 68 points) ended the 2024-25 season on a high note with a 5-1 defeat of the Dallas Stars [http://thn.com/dallas] (50-26-7, 107 points) at Bridgestone Arena. The Predators will finish seventh in the Central Division this season, ahead of only the Chicago Blackhawks. Dallas is locked into second place in the Central Division and will have home ice advantage over the third-place Colorado Avalanche when the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs begins Saturday. Nick Blankenburg, Nashville Predators & Thomas Harley, Dallas Stars [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/b0d45e83-a709-440e-8b6f-3ce47fa8b210.jpeg] Nick Blankenburg, Nashville Predators & Thomas Harley, Dallas Stars HOW THE PREDATORS LINED UP VS. DALLAS Bunting-O'Reilly-Evangelista Forsberg-Stamkos-Marchessault L'Heureux-Svechkov-Wood Smith-McCarron-Vrana Skjei-Blankenburg Oesterle-Barron Englund-Del Gaizo Saros Annunen Extra: Sissons (week-to-week, lower-body) IR: Lauzon, Wilsby, Josi PREDATORS VS. STARS: LIVE UPDATES FIRST PERIOD (NSH 3, DAL 1) It took just 16 seconds for Dallas to jump out to a 1-0 lead thanks to a goal from Mason Marchment. He was assisted by his line mates, former Predators forward Matt Duchene and Tyler Seguin – the latter of whom was making his return to the lineup for the first time since Dec. 1 after undergoing hip surgery. Nashville was able to get out of some early penalty trouble and tie the game on a one-timer from Jordan Oesterle at the 13:02 mark of the first period. Jakub Vrana gave the Predators their first lead of the game less than a minute later on a deflection at the top of the crease to make it 2-1. With 15 seconds remaining in the first period, Justin Barron shoveled a loose puck under a sprawling Jake Oettinger to give the Predators a 3-1 lead heading into the first intermission. SECOND PERIOD (NSH 5, DAL 1) Jonathan Marchessault extended the Predators' lead to 4-1 when he tapped in a backdoor pass from Steven Stamkos at the 6:31 mark of the second period. A Brendan Smith cross-checking penalty put the Predators on the man advantage near the halfway point of the second period, and it took Ryan O'Reilly just 20 seconds to capitalize with a power-play goal to give Nashville a 5-1 lead. THIRD PERIOD (NSH 5, DAL 1) Casey DeSmith came in to mind the Dallas net for Jake Oettinger in the third period. He stopped all 12 shots he faced for the 5-1 final.
