The Predators earned it — the game and the expected-goals battle both.
Nashville's superior shot quality proved decisive in a 4-3 win over Chicago. The Predators controlled 56% of expected goals (4.89–3.89) and held a decisive 8–5 edge in high-danger chances, leaving little doubt about which team dominated play.
The quality gap was the operational story. At 0.082 expected goals per shot, the Predators generated roughly 44% more value per attempt than Chicago's 0.057. This showed up across the game: in rush situations, Nashville converted 4 of 27 chances while Chicago managed only 3 of 29. Even in the high-danger zone, where Chicago's 40% conversion (2 of 5) was efficient, the Predators' 8–5 advantage in those looks proved decisive.
Teuvo Teravainen's wrist shot from the slot (P3, 10:28) was the turning point.
Nashville's margin could have been wider—both teams underperformed their expected goals by 0.89 each—but excellent goaltending from both sides kept the scoreline intact. J. Saros (NSH) stopped 24 of 27 shots (0.889 SV%), outperforming his expected save percentage by 0.89 goals. A. Soderblom (CHI) saved 25 of 29 (0.862 SV%), also beating expectations by the same margin. Both tenders played above the call, preventing what the underlying metrics suggested could have been a wider result.