Devils edge Predators 3-2 at Bridgestone Arena as late swings reshape playoff positioning race
Game result and context
The New Jersey Devils defeated the Nashville Predators 3–2 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Thursday, March 26, 2026, in a matchup between two teams navigating tight playoff races in their respective conferences. New Jersey entered the night with a 36–32–2 record, while Nashville came in at 34–28–9.
The outcome followed a pattern seen in the clubs’ recent meetings: the teams had already played once earlier in the 2025–26 season, when the Devils won 3–2 in overtime on Jan. 29, 2026, in Newark.
How the game unfolded
New Jersey carried the scoring by period, recording one goal in each of the first, second and third periods. Nashville’s production was concentrated in the middle frame, when the Predators scored twice to briefly tilt momentum. Despite that second-period push, Nashville did not score in the third period, leaving it unable to recover once New Jersey re-established a lead.
Team-level numbers pointed to a territorial advantage for the Devils. New Jersey finished with 29 shots on goal to Nashville’s 17, a gap that reflected extended offensive-zone time and a higher volume of attempts directed at the net. Faceoffs also leaned heavily toward New Jersey, which won 64.4% of draws, a factor that can translate into immediate possession in all three zones.
Special teams and officiating notes
Special-teams opportunities were uneven, with New Jersey receiving three power plays and Nashville receiving one. The game was officiated by referees Gord Dwyer and Michael Markovic. The teams’ ability to convert on those chances, and to prevent momentum shifts immediately following penalties, played into the larger story of possession and shot volume.
- Shots on goal: Devils 29, Predators 17
- Faceoffs won: Devils 64.4%, Predators 35.6%
- Power plays awarded: Devils 3, Predators 1
- Venue: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville
What it means moving forward
In the short term, the result added a regulation loss to Nashville’s record and a win to New Jersey’s, tightening the margins that typically define late-season positioning. The Predators’ inability to generate third-period scoring and the Devils’ consistent period-by-period offense provided clear performance markers for both teams as they continue through the closing stretch of the regular season.
With fewer than two weeks remaining in March, results between clubs from different conferences can still carry outsized importance when points are clustered across the wild-card lines and divisional cutoffs.
The teams will continue their schedules with little time to reset, making discipline, puck possession off faceoffs, and shot-generation trends central areas to watch.