The Gauntlet 2026-27 · Qualification night
The Golden Knights snuff the Predators
Golden Knights 5, Predators 2
October 13, 2026. The Vegas Golden Knights go through. Next: at the Winnipeg Jets, Sat, Nov 21, 7:00 PM ET.
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Flamekeeper
William Karlsson
With the game tied 2-2 late in the 2nd, he snapped home the winner at 17:44, set up by Mitch Marner and Rasmus Andersson.
Karlsson's snap shot sends Nashville dark again
A familiar first night
The Nashville Predators came into qualification night carrying three seasons of Gauntlet hurt. They went out on the first night in 2023-24, again in 2024-25 and again in 2025-26. A loss to the Vegas Golden Knights at Bridgestone Arena would douse a fourth flame before it ever caught. Vegas had its own sting to shake off: the Seattle Kraken snuffed the Golden Knights on qualification night a year ago.
Ryan O'Reilly struck first, backhanding one in at 3:55 off a Filip Forsberg feed. The lead lasted 2:51. Tomas Hertl wristed in the equalizer, and at 12:48 Jack Eichel tipped in the go-ahead goal, set up by Brayden McNabb.
Karlsson breaks the tie
Nashville clawed level in the 2nd from an unlikely spot. Adam Wilsby sat for hooking at 7:41, and just over a minute later Adam Edstrom wristed in a short-handed goal at 8:45 to make it 2-2. Then, with 2:16 left in the period, William Karlsson snapped home the goal that held up as the winner, from Mitch Marner and Rasmus Andersson.
Vegas burns on
The 3rd belonged to the Golden Knights. Trevor Connelly wristed in a fourth goal at 4:49, and 1:35 later Brett Howden tipped in the fifth. Adin Hill stopped 26 of 28 shots. Nashville went dark on qualification night once more. Nineteen flames still burn, and the Golden Knights' fire is one of them.
What is the Gauntlet?
A proposal for an NHL in-season tournament. All 32 teams start alive, every Gauntlet game is a game already on the regular-season schedule, and lose one and you are out.