INSTANT REACTION: Avs first home regulation loss of the season, 7-3 loss to Nashville Predators

A valiant effort early in the third to try and jumpstart a comeback into this thing, but the Avs drop their second game of the homestand in a loss to the Nashville Predators.

Tonight’s game was highlighted by a Ryan O’Reilly hat trick, one of which was scored thanks to a Samuel Girard own goal.

Tonight also saw the return of Mackenzie Blackwood, who has not played a game since December 31st.

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Ryan O’Reilly, former Av, got things going just thirty seconds after the initial puck drop, with some nifty stick work to put it past Mackenzie Blackwood with his backhand.

Brock Nelson had a quick response a little under a minute later, whacking at a rebound created off a Brent Burns shot to even things up.

O’Reilly ended the period with two goals, but one came courtesy of an own-goal thanks to a centered Samuel Girard, who received a centering pass from O’Reilly behind the goal line, and put it through Blackwood’s five-hole to make it 2-1.

Fortunately, Nelson would also end the period with two goals, tipping home a Josh Manson rocket to tie things up heading into the second period.

The second period itself was fairly boring as far as production goes, but the Avs dominated possession numbers for the first half of it. O’Reilly scored his “third” goal of the night, tipping a Luke Evangelista shot past Blackwood to give the Predators the lead once again.

All it took for this to begin to get out of hand was an untimely turnover by Valeri Nichushkin in the o-zone, and Nashville went the other way with it, creating a 2-on-1. Steven Stamkos finds Michael Bunting streaking down the left side, who receives the pass and puts it away to cushion the lead.

Martin Necas got things going early for the Avs in the third period with a heck of a snap to get it past Jusse Saros and bring his team back within one.

Then, Nashville hammered the nail in. Goals from Filip Forsberg and empty-netters by Steven Stamkos and Michael McCarron put the stamp on a 7-3 divisional loss to the Predators.

Ex-player curse

Ryan O’Reilly, who was drafted by the Avs in 2009, played six seasons with Colorado before signing with the Buffalo Sabres in free agency in 2015.

Now, with the Predators, he’s managed to keep the Avs’ ex-player curse, a totally not-made-up curse that says that former players have to have incredible games when playing against the Avs, alive.

Though one of them was not a goal he scored himself, he managed a hat trick by the end of the game.

Ryan O'Reilly's just that guy apparently 🧢 https://t.co/MPkYxAHZ47 pic.twitter.com/JJJtzq5eoH

— NHL (@NHL) January 17, 2026

Samuel Girard = not good

#49 ended the night -3.

As the trade deadline approaches, one of the biggest conversations for the Avs is the left side of the blue line and how much they might be lacking there. As a long-time Av, Coach Jared Bednar has shown a lot of trust in him this season, but while he moves the puck well, he tends to be very unreliable on the defensive side of the puck. That was only highlighted by his own goal tonight to give O’Reilly the second goal of his hat trick.

That'll work 👀 pic.twitter.com/G0nVk456xz

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) January 17, 2026

Avs postgame pod