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Annunen made 24 saves in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Blue Jackets.
The Predators took a 2-1 lead into the third period, but goals by Sean Monahan and Charlie Coyle -- both of which deflected in off bodies in front -- flipped the script. The 25-year-old Annunen has been a decent backup lately, going 2-2-1 with a 2.65 GAA and .906 save percentage over his last five outings.
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Predators' Justus Annunen: Tending twine in Columbus
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Annunen will guard the road goal versus the Blue Jackets on Tuesday, Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers reports.
Annunen is set for the second half of a back-to-back after Juuse Saros tended the twine in Monday's 4-2 loss to the Red Wings. Annunen's last start was a win over the Blackhawks last Thursday, in which he stopped 21 of 23 shots. The Blue Jackets are also playing for the second straight day after Monday's 5-4 overtime win over the Rangers.
Predators' Justus Annunen: Gets win over Blackhawks
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Annunen stopped 21 of 23 shots in Thursday's 4-2 win over the Blackhawks.
Annunen allowed a go-ahead goal to Tyler Bertuzzi in the third period, but the Predators bounced back with the last three tallies of the game. This was Annunen's second win in his last three outings. The 25-year-old netminder has had plenty of ups and downs this season, sitting at a 6-7-2 record with a 3.16 GAA and an .885 save percentage across 19 appearances. Juuse Saros will likely return to the starting role in a tough matchup Saturday in Dallas.
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Predators' Justus Annunen: Set to start Thursday
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Annunen will protect the home goal versus the Blackhawks on Thursday.
Annunen will be backed up by Juuse Saros, who was deemed a game-time decision after participating in Finland's bronze-medal run at the Olympics. Annunen went 1-2-1 over his last five outings before the break, allowing 14 goals on 127 shots in that span.
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Predators' Justus Annunen: Scuffles continue
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Annunen made 26 saves in a 4-2 loss to the Capitals on Thursday.
Annunen is 5-7-2 with a 3.23 GAA and .886 save percentage in 13 starts (18 appearances) this season. He doesn't get enough games behind Juuse Saros to make him an appealing option in net, and his ratios make him a sketchy spot starter in daily formats. Annunen is 1-2-1 in his last three starts (five appearances). He allowed 14 goals in those three starts, including a seven-goal debacle against Vegas on Jan. 17.
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Predators' Justus Annunen: Set to start Thursday
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Annunen is slated to start Thursday's road game against Washington, Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean reports.
Annunen is poised to get the second half of Nashville's back-to-back after Juuse Saros starts at home against the Wild on Wednesday. Annunen has made five appearances since the start of the calendar year, going 2-1-1 with a 2.87 GAA and .907 save percentage.
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Predators' Justus Annunen: Picks up win in relief
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Annunen turned aside all 13 shots he faced after replacing Juuse Saros early in the second period Monday, recording the win in a 6-5 victory over the Blues.
The Predators were staring at a 5-1 deficit when the goalie switch was made, but Annunen stood tall as his teammates put together a remarkable comeback. A seven-goal disaster in Vegas on Jan. 17 still mars his numbers, but that's the only outing Annunen's had since the beginning of December in which he's allowed more than three goals. Over that stretch, he's gone 4-2-1 in nine appearances with a 2.45 GAA and a .918 save percentage. With Nashville trying to stay in the playoff picture, Annunen could begin to push a struggling Saros for playing time.
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Predators' Justus Annunen: Yields three goals in loss
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Annunen turned aside 32 of 35 shots on goal in Thursday's 3-2 overtime loss to New Jersey.
Annunen was tasked with recording a high total of saves in regulation to force overtime, in which he ultimately fell short when New Jersey's Nico Hischier rifled the game-winning tally past him 42 seconds into the extra period. With the loss, Annunen now holds a 4-6-2 record, 3.30 GAA and .881 save percentage across 16 outings this season. While the 25-year-old netminder hasn't found the win column in each of his last three outings, he has only one regulation loss across his last six appearances, a stretch during which he has a 2.69 GAA and a .909 save percentage. He remains firmly behind Juuse Saros on the depth chart, but with solid performances such as Thursday's, Annunen could begin to draw more starts if the Predators start slipping out of playoff contention.
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Predators' Justus Annunen: Drawing start Thursday
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Annunen will defend the road crease against New Jersey on Thursday, Mike Morreale of NHL.com reports.
Annunen has seen limited playing time in recent weeks, but he'll tend the twine Thursday after sitting out the Predators' last three games. He's made three appearances in January, going 1-1-0 with a 3.51 GAA and .889 save percentage.
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Predators' Justus Annunen: Strong showing in relief
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Annunen stopped all 13 shots he faced in relief in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Sabres.
Annunen entered the game in the second period after Juuse Saros allowed four goals on 18 shots. Annunen has limited upside as the backup netminder this season, but he can be a decent matchup-based streaming option at times.
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Predators' Justus Annunen: No match for Golden Knights
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Annunen stopped 29 of 36 shots in Saturday's 7-2 loss to the Golden Knights.
Nashville had the first and last goals in the contest, but the Golden Knights had no trouble besting Annunen in between those tallies. He was in it for the long haul after Juuse Saros guided the Predators to a win in Colorado on Friday. Annunen dropped to 4-6-1 with a 3.49 GAA and an .876 save percentage over 14 appearances. It's unclear when Annunen will get his next chance to play, but the Predators don't have another back-to-back on the schedule until just before February's Olympic break.
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Predators' Justus Annunen: Expected to face Vegas
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Annunen is expected to start on the road against Vegas on Saturday, per Brooks Bratten of the Predators' official site.
Although Annunen has played sparingly this season, he has won his past three starts while stopping 75 of 80 shots (.938 save percentage). He's 4-5-1 with a 3.17 GAA and an .881 save percentage in 13 outings in 2025-26. Vegas has won its past six games, posting 4.83 goals per game across that stretch.
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Predators' Justus Annunen: Defeats Capitals
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Annunen stopped 28 of 30 shots in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Capitals.
Annunen has started just three of the Predators' last 11 games, but he's earned wins in each of those outings. He gave up both goals on Capitals power plays in this contest, but the Predators had a pair of tallies with the man advantage to cancel those out. Annunen is up to 4-5-1 with a 3.17 GAA and an .881 save percentage over 13 contests. While he's playing well currently, he's the backup to the busiest goalie in the league, Juuse Saros, which leaves Annunen with few chances to tend the twine. His next game is likely to be in an upcoming road back-to-back, but the matchups are brutal, as he'll either face the Avalanche on Friday or the Golden Knights on Saturday.
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Predators' Justus Annunen: Starting against Washington
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Annunen will start Sunday's home game against the Capitals.
Annunen hasn't appeared in any of the Predators' five games since the start of the calendar year, but he'll draw the start in the second half of a back-to-back set Sunday. He's picked up wins in each of his last two appearances, going 2-0-0 with a 1.50 GAA and .938 save percentage.
Annunen signed a two-year, $2.5 million contract extension with the Predators on Monday.
Annunen was traded to Nashville early last season, and he's served as the Predators' backup netminder during the 2025-26 campaign. He's gone 3-5-1 with a 3.29 GAA and .875 save percentage over 12 appearances this year, and he'll now remain under contract with the Predators through the 2027-28 season.
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Predators' Justus Annunen: Nabs second straight win
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Annunen turned aside 29 shots in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Golden Knights.
Vegas struck twice before the midway point in the first period to put the Predators on the ropes early, but Annunen kept his focus and slammed the door shut the rest of the way. The 25-year-old netminder has won back-to-back starts for the first time all season, giving Nashville's backup a bit of momentum heading into 2026, but through 12 outings he sports a 3-5-1 record with a 3.29 GAA and .875 save percentage.
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Predators' Justus Annunen: Starting in Vegas
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Annunen will defend the road net against the Golden Knights on Wednesday, Brooks Bratten of the Predators' official site reports.
Annunen is coming off a 16-save performance in a 2-1 win over the Rangers on Dec. 21. He has posted a 2-5-1 record this season with a 3.43 GAA and an .866 save percentage through 11 appearances. Vegas sits 13th in the league with 3.14 goals per game this campaign.
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Predators' Justus Annunen: Near shutout in win
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Annunen stopped 16 of 17 shots on net in Sunday's 2-1 win over the Rangers.
Annunen was 37 seconds away from his first shutout of the season before he surrendered New York's lone goal of the night to Jonny Brodzinski. With the win, Annunen is up to a 2-5-1 record with a 3.43 GAA and an .866 save percentage through 11 appearances this season. His performance Sunday was one of his best this season, showcasing a flash of the skill he displayed early on last season. While he sits firmly behind Juuse Saros on the depth chart, Annunen has played better as of late, with his two wins this season coming in his last four starts. He could be in for a few extra starts if his decent run of play continues, but it is currently best to look elsewhere for a goaltender in fantasy. While Saros will likely start the next two games for the Predators, Annunen could see work early next week with the team set to play three games in four days between Dec. 29 and Jan. 1.
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Predators' Justus Annunen: Drawing start Sunday
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Annunen will be between the home pipes against the Rangers on Sunday, according to Brooks Bratten of the Predators' official site.
Annunen hasn't gotten in the win column since Nov. 26 in Detroit, as he's 0-2-0 with a 3.30 GAA and an .897 save percentage over his last three appearances. The Rangers will be without J.T. Miller (upper body) on Sunday, and Gabe Perreault and Matt Rempe are late scratches due to illness. New York has won back-to-back contests following a two-game losing streak.
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