Nashville Predators at Columbus Blue Jackets
NHL game between the Nashville Predators and the Columbus Blue Jackets on Mar 03, 2026. Final score: Nashville Predators 2, Columbus Blue Jackets 3.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Mar 03, 2026 |
| Venue | Nationwide Arena |
| Nashville Predators score | 2 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets score | 3 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game Score and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game Score
Ranked by Game Score, which rolls goals, assists, shot quality, play-driving and penalties into one number — so the best player is chosen by the box score, not by a vote.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Ryan O'Reilly | C | 1 | 0 | 4 | 18:36 | 0.60 | 0.85 |
| 2nd | Charlie Coyle | C | 1 | 0 | 6 | 22:11 | 0.52 | 0.85 |
| 3rd | Adam Fantilli | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 16:58 | 0.26 | 0.80 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Nashville Predators–Columbus Blue Jackets) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 14:23 | CBJ | Adam Fantilli | Kirill Marchenko, Mason Marchment | 5v5 | 0–1 |
| 1st 19:32 | NSH | Filip Forsberg | Steven Stamkos, Luke Evangelista | 4v5 | 1–1 |
| 2nd 14:39 | NSH | Ryan O'Reilly | — | 5v5 | 2–1 |
| 3rd 01:52 | CBJ | Sean Monahan | — | 4v5 | 2–2 |
| 3rd 06:07 | CBJ | Charlie Coyle | Damon Severson, Denton Mateychuk | 5v5 | 2–3 |
Team Comparison
| Nashville Predators | Columbus Blue Jackets | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 2 | 3 |
| Shots on goal | 24 | 27 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 3.62 | 3.23 |
| High-danger shots | 14 | 14 |
| Corsi % | 45.2% | 54.8% |
| Power play | 1/2 | 0/4 |
| Faceoff % | 50.0% | 50.0% |
| Hits | 12 | 14 |
| Blocks | 16 | 16 |
| Giveaways | 14 | 11 |
| Takeaways | 6 | 4 |
Nashville Predators Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan O'Reilly | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 18:36 | 0.60 | 0.85 |
| Filip Forsberg | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 22:38 | 0.67 | 0.70 |
| Luke Evangelista | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 20:23 | 0.34 | 0.49 |
| Steven Stamkos | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 17:34 | 0.33 | 0.44 |
| Tyson Jost | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:20 | 0.23 | 0.20 |
| Zachary L'Heureux | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8:34 | 0.14 | 0.15 |
| Erik Haula | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20:43 | 0.19 | 0.15 |
| Nicolas Hague | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21:44 | 0.00 | 0.15 |
| Ozzy Wiesblatt | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7:38 | 0.00 | 0.10 |
| Nick Blankenburg | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17:53 | 0.05 | 0.05 |
| Nick Perbix | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 19:15 | 0.07 | 0.05 |
| Roman Josi | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 26:52 | 0.07 | 0.05 |
| Justin Barron | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:10 | 0.06 | 0.05 |
| Brady Skjei | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 22:46 | 0.07 | 0.00 |
| Jonathan Marchessault | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:28 | 0.11 | 0.00 |
| Matthew Wood | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11:58 | 0.08 | 0.00 |
| Cole Smith | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3:00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Michael Bunting | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:36 | 0.00 | -0.10 |
Columbus Blue Jackets Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie Coyle | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 22:11 | 0.52 | 0.85 |
| Adam Fantilli | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 16:58 | 0.26 | 0.80 |
| Sean Monahan | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 19:29 | 0.36 | 0.70 |
| Denton Mateychuk | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 19:48 | 0.28 | 0.69 |
| Damon Severson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 20:28 | 0.04 | 0.59 |
| Kirill Marchenko | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 18:05 | 0.55 | 0.54 |
| Mason Marchment | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16:55 | 0.03 | 0.49 |
| Egor Zamula | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:44 | 0.02 | 0.20 |
| Dante Fabbro | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:54 | 0.05 | 0.15 |
| Ivan Provorov | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 26:49 | 0.01 | 0.15 |
| Mathieu Olivier | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:33 | 0.04 | 0.15 |
| Erik Gudbranson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21:04 | 0.04 | 0.10 |
| Miles Wood | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7:49 | 0.02 | 0.10 |
| Danton Heinen | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:44 | 0.03 | 0.10 |
| Cole Sillinger | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:48 | 0.12 | 0.10 |
| Kent Johnson | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:10 | 0.31 | 0.05 |
| Dmitri Voronkov | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:39 | 0.00 | -0.05 |
| Isac Lundeström | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:03 | 0.01 | -0.05 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justus Annunen | Nashville Predators | 24 | 27 | 88.9% | 0.52 | L |
| Jet Greaves | Columbus Blue Jackets | 21 | 23 | 95.5% | 0.95 | W |
| Elvis Merzlikins | Columbus Blue Jackets | 2 | 2 | 100.0% | 0.05 |
Analysis
The Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Nashville Predators 3–2 on Mar 03, 2026, a one-goal game.
Columbus Blue Jackets generated 3.23 expected goals to Nashville Predators's 3.62 — Nashville Predators owned the better of the chances but Columbus Blue Jackets took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it; by expected goals it was close to a coin flip.
Ryan O'Reilly led all skaters with a Game Score of 0.85 on 1 goal, 4 shots on goal.
Jet Greaves stopped 21 of 23, worth 0.95 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Nashville Predators vs Columbus Blue Jackets game?
The Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Nashville Predators 3–2 on Mar 03, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Columbus Blue Jackets 3, Nashville Predators 2.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Ryan O'Reilly led all skaters at 0.85, on 1G, 0A and 4 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Columbus Blue Jackets generated 3.23 expected goals and Nashville Predators generated 3.62, so Nashville Predators created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Nashville Predators put 24 shots on goal and Columbus Blue Jackets put 27. High-danger chances went 14 to 14.
How did the goaltenders play?
Justus Annunen stopped 24 of 27 (0.52 goals saved above expected); Jet Greaves stopped 21 of 23 (0.95 goals saved above expected).