Nashville Predators drop 4-3 shootout decision to Vancouver Canucks as road trip reaches midpoint

Predators earn one point but fall in skills competition

The Nashville Predators lost 4-3 in a shootout to the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night, March 12, 2026, at Rogers Arena. The result gave Nashville one point in the standings but ended the game in a deciding-round finish after the teams were level through regulation and overtime.

Vancouver goaltender Nikita Tolopilo turned aside all three Nashville attempts in the shootout. Jake DeBrusk scored the only shootout goal, converting in the decisive sequence to secure the extra point for the Canucks.

How the game was decided

The teams played to a 3-3 tie across 60 minutes and a scoreless overtime, sending the contest to the shootout. Nashville’s inability to convert on its three shootout tries proved to be the difference, with Tolopilo closing the door after the game moved past overtime.

The Predators left Vancouver with a single point after the game was settled in the shootout.

Context within the season series

Thursday’s meeting was the third and final scheduled matchup between Nashville and Vancouver in the 2025-26 regular season. The two clubs had entered the night with each of the first two meetings decided by one goal, with each team taking a win earlier in the season.

The March 12 outcome also fit that pattern: a one-goal game ultimately determined beyond regulation. The win moved Vancouver to 20-37-8, while Nashville’s record moved to 29-27-9.

Road-trip implications and what it shows

For Nashville, the game marked the midpoint of a five-game road trip. Earning a point after reaching a tie through 65 minutes can support a team’s ability to stay competitive away from home, but the shootout finish again highlighted how narrow the margins become when games remain unresolved through overtime.

• Final: Canucks 4, Predators 3 (SO)
• Date/venue: March 12, 2026 — Rogers Arena, Vancouver
• Deciding sequence: DeBrusk scored in the shootout; Tolopilo stopped all three Nashville attempts

Nashville continues the trip with the standings impact of a single point from the Vancouver stop, while Vancouver banked two points by converting the lone shootout goal.