Ville Koivunen scores OT winner as Penguins rally past Predators

Oct 24, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Ville Koivunen (41) celebrates his game winning overtime goal against the Nashville Predators at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Ville Koivunen scored with 1:16 left in overtime for the ailing Pittsburgh Penguins, who rallied to take down the visiting Nashville Predators 3-2 on Saturday night. Connor Dewar and Rickard Rakell also scored for the Penguins, who won their second straight game. Arturs Silovs finished with 24 saves for Pittsburgh, marking the first time the team has won consecutive games since starting the season 2-0. Steven Stamkos scored his fifth of the season, and Jayden Struble notched his first for the Predators, who are now 0-4 in overtime and shootout games. Juuse Saros made a season-high 34 saves, but Rickard Rakell spoiled his bid for a victory by tying the game with 1:06 remaining in regulation. Pittsburgh played without Evgeni Malkin, who missed the game due to an illness. Malkin's longtime teammates, though, made sure the Penguins earned at least a point. With Silovs on the bench for an extra attacker, Sidney Crosby controlled the puck in the left faceoff circle. Instead of shooting, he fed Rakell at the other circle and Rakell buried it before Saros could glide across the crease. Saros had stopped Rakell twice on breakaways earlier in the game, including a short-handed chance for the Pittsburgh forward with less than eight minutes left. Nashville coach Andrew Brunette moved Matthew Wood onto Nashville's top line alongside Stamkos and Ryan O'Reilly following Thursday's 6-0 loss at Boston. The trio produced the game's opening goal at 9:24 of the first period when Wood's shot deflected off Stamkos' skate. Pittsburgh capitalized on a Predators turnover to draw even early in the second period. Adam Wilsby's failed clearance behind the net allowed Dewar to tie the game just 18 seconds into the period. It was one of 24 giveaways for Nashville. Struble, acquired from Montreal on Oct. 9 for a second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft, restored Nashville's lead at 6:40 of the second period. Besides Malkin missing the game, Pittsburgh has six skaters on injured reserve. Egor Chinakhov also missed his second straight game due to a lower-body injury. --Field Level Media