Sharks vs. Predators: Game 4 Score and Twitter Reaction from 2016 NHL Playoffs

A few minutes after the clock passed 2 a.m. ET, Mike Fisher's second goal of the night ended a 111-minute marathon, and the Nashville Predators defeated the San Jose Sharks 4-3 in Game 4, in triple overtime, to even their Western Conference second-round series at 2-2.

The Predators expressed their excitement:

Notable media personalities also reacted to the longest game of the NHL postseason to date:

Perhaps the biggest goal of the game was one that did not count. Midway through the first overtime, Sharks center Joe Pavelski collided with Predators goalie Pekka Rinne after an apparent cross-check.

After the collision, Pavelski tapped the loose puck into the net, but it was ruled goalie interference after a lengthy review.

Another 30-plus minutes were played with no winner until Fisher's game-winning rebound. Rinne had 44 saves, 21 of which came in the three overtime periods.

The scoring started fast and early for the Predators. Colin Wilson scored for the fourth time this postseason just 41 seconds into the game off a deflection in front of the net, via the Predators:

That goal put Wilson in rare Nashville history, per NHL Public Relations:

San Jose responded less than three minutes later through a Brent Burns goal to tie the game at a goal apiece.

The defenseman had a tough angle coming down the right side, but he was able to fire the puck at the top of the net:

Burns has been a vital contributor on both offense and defense this postseason. As ESPN's John Buccigross noted, he has even been a major player on the power play:

Nashville took the lead back near the midway point of the first period thanks to a Fisher goal. That would be the last stretch of scoring for 24 minutes. The Predators held a 10-5 advantage in the shot department after the first stanza.

San Jose rebounded to tie the game in the second period thanks to Joonas Donskoi finding the back of the net with 5:51 remaining in the frame. The Sharks responded with 12 shots in the period and held Nashville to only eight.

That mindset transitioned over to the third period. Burns knotted his second goal of the night just under seven minutes into a four-on-four power play. This one wasn't at a difficult angle like his first, but it was still a sharp shot that found its way to the back of the net, giving San Jose a 3-2 lead:

The Sharks began to go on the defensive. Once they grabbed the lead, it appeared San Jose took its foot off the gas and was attempting to protect its lead rather than trying to score.

That strategy came back to haunt the Sharks with 4:21 to go on James Neal's game-tying goal. Nashville outshot San Jose 9-5 in the final frame of regulation, and the celebration was on, per NHL:

The first overtime of this series came with that controversy midway through the period. Pavelski was called for goalie interference after colliding with Rinne, and the refs waved off the potential game-winning goal, prolonging this crucial Game 4. The shock was evident once the referee made the call:

Neither team could capitalize, and they headed for another possible 20 minutes. San Jose outshot Nashville by a whopping 9-3 in the second overtime, but Rinne made multiple pad saves down the stretch to extend the game.

As the clock crept toward 2 a.m. ET, the Nashville goalie's play was nearing no-sleep status, per Liam McHugh of NBC Sports:

Win or lose, Nick Carboni of WBIR in Knoxville, Tennessee, thought it was appropriate to celebrate Rinne for his performance:

As the game headed to triple overtime, the third in Sharks history, past performance was not on either team's side, per ESPN Stats & Info:

Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star had an idea for how to end the game:

Wilson had a breakaway chance to clinch the win near the midway point in triple overtime, but San Jose goalie Martin Jones made a diving stop to keep the game even. Willie Ramirez of the Associated Press was shocked at Jones' miraculous save:

Sam Vecenie of CBS Sports felt the same way:

Fisher's game-winning goal came 11:12 into the third overtime for the franchise's first ever triple-overtime victory and first playoff overtime win at home, per NHL Public Relations. After dropping the first two games in San Jose, the Predators have new life heading back to California.

The talk leading up to Game 5 will be the no-goal in the first overtime. San Jose had numerous opportunities to end the game but could not get the puck past Rinne when it mattered most. The Sharks still have home-ice advantage in a best-of-three situation, but this was a missed opportunity for San Jose.

Postgame Reaction

One of the first to react to Fisher's game-winning goal was his wife, Grammy-winning country singer Carrie Underwood:

Even with the late hour, Fisher could feel the fans' energy throughout the entire game.

"Our fans had as much energy in overtime as anyone," Fisher said, per Thomas Willis of the Predators' website, "so we fed off them and got the win."

However, Sharks head coach Pete DeBoer was not happy about the goal that was called off despite the cross-check, per Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo Sports:

Jim Diamond of the Associated Press provided the quote in full:

Pavelski was sure the goal went in without any controversy, per CSN Bay Area:

Sharks captain Logan Couture thought the two overtime periods showed a lot about San Jose on Thursday night, per the Sharks:

But the Sharks still couldn't solve the riddle that was Rinne in overtime, and Predators coach Peter Laviolette praised his goalie's performance, per John Glennon of the Tennessean:

Rinne also felt he could've played a bit longer, but he'll need that energy for Saturday in Game 5 back in San Jose.

"I don't care how these wins come," Rinne said, per Willis. "I could have played all night."