We’ve got a new season in a new era in Smashville, as the Nashville Predators traveled to Tampa Bay and Amelie Arena to take on the Lightning in Game 1 of the 2023-24 NHL season.
First Period
It’s a new season, but to Juuse Saros, this all looks familiar. Saros is tested from the jump in this game, getting five saves in the first five minutes that was dominated by the Lightning. The Predators couldn’t muster up much offensively either – Nashville wouldn’t get a shot on goal until 7:15 into the first period with a shot by Yakov Trenin. Kiefer Sherwood looked to provide a spark on offense, getting the Preds’ second shot on goal at 8:27, but any hopes of momentum were dashed just 90 seconds later.
Tampa Bay legend Nikita Kucherov fired from the blue line after a couple of quick passes and Tampa got the first goal of the NHL season with 10:12 left in the first period. Tampa would lead 1-0.
The Predators headed out for the next faceoff at center, hoping to use the goal as momentum to get going in the first, but they continued to struggle with the puck. Tampa got a few chances after Nashville couldn’t get out of their own end.
A few minutes later, Nashville – still with just two shots on goal – draws a penalty after Nick Perbix high-sticked Juuso Parssinen, and the Preds would head to the power play. The man advantage is a specialty of new head coach Andrew Brunette, but it felt like the usual Preds power play this time. The Preds nearly avoid a disaster on the power play after a turnover by Tyson Barrie gives Nick Paul a prime shorthanded chance on Juuse Saros.
With just six minutes left in the period, there were no signs of life from the boys in gold. Colton Sissons and Roman Josi would both be penalized for slashing in the final six minutes, putting Nashville on their heels. But the Predators’ penalty kill would stand strong, killing the Sissons penalty, and killing the first 30 seconds of the Josi penalty before the clock ran out on the period. The Predators headed to the locker room down just 1-0, but completely outplayed, with just 2 shots on goal in the period against Tampa’s 12.
Second Period
With 1:30 left in the Josi penalty, Nashville started the second a man-down after being manhandled in the first period. Luckily, the penalty kill continued to be effective, and despite two excellent chances by Nikita Kucherov, the Predators escaped unscathed.
Killing the penalty gave Nashville new life, as the Predators would go on to dominate possession five minutes into the period. Not only would Steven Stamkos and Mikhail Sergachev get called for penalties in the second, but after a Darren Raddysh shot with 14:48 left in the period, Nashville’s defense would keep the Lightning from getting a single shot on Saros the rest of the second.
The Predators, riding the momentum of high-volume, high-quality shots, tilted the ice back in their favor throughout the second before a scary moment with Cody Glass stopped the game.
Cody Glass would leave the ice under his own power (and eventually return to the game), but the Predators would not let his sacrifice be in vain. Filip Forsberg carried the puck into the Tampa offensive zone with under four minutes left, toe-dragged around the defender and made a perfect pass to new Predator Ryan O’Reilly, who would tap in Nashville’s first goal of the NHL season and after a horrid first period, Nashville found themselves tied with Tampa as they closed out the second period.
Third Period
After two periods that were polar opposites of each other, the newly-revitalized Nashville Predators started the third period on fire. A Lightning turnover off the opening faceoff led to another incredible play by Filip Forsberg, who made another great move and ANOTHER great pass to Juuso Parssinen, who gave Nashville the 2-1 lead just seconds into the final period. (Author note: Ignore my mistake in the below tweet)
A Roman Josi interference call sent Nashville to the PK just 77 seconds into the period, and Nick Paul led a Tampa Bay flurry of shots on Saros, before finally cleaning up the loose rebound and tying the game at two.
The momentum the Predators found to start the period quickly faded away, as just 30 seconds later, Luke Schenn would make an awful mistake and drag down Brandon Hagel (despite Saros being in great position) and gave Hagel a chance at the penalty shot – which he converted.
(Note: this was the first penalty shot goal given up by the Predators, who last gave up a goal to Vancouver and Elias Pettersson against Pekka Rinne in March of 2018. The goal moved Saros to 4 saves on 5 shots in his career)
Nashville would fight back valiantly after watching their 2-1 lead turn into a 3-2 deficit just three minutes later. After a series of possessions that ended in turnovers by both teams, Nikita Kucherov would get called for hooking a freshly-returned Cody Glass with 12:54 remaining, sending Nashville to a much-needed power-play. And who else would respond, but rising star Tommy Novak, giving Nashville their first power play goal and tying the game after he sent an absolute rocket past Tampa goaltender Jonas Johansson.
Nashville was right back in the game with the score tied and over 10 minutes left, but a very suspect high-sticking call on Jeremy Lauzon would send Tampa back to the power play, despite the replay showing no contact and an Oscar-worthy embellishment by Conor Sheary. Despite the bad call, Tampa would get three shots on goal early in the power play, then Nick Paul would record his second goal of the evening with 9:08 left in the third, and the Lightning were back on top.
Not out of the fight just yet, Nashville continued to push hard but mistakes reared their ugly head again just a few seconds later when Philip Tomasino was sent to the box. Thankfully the Predators were able to kill the penalty thanks to great work by Colton Sissons and Yakov Trenin, but Nashville could only muster up just two shots on goal before the two-minute mark, and Saros headed for the bench with just over two minutes remaining. With the man-advantage, Nashville would get several decent looks, but too many of the shot attempts went wide of the net, and with just 12 seconds left in the game, Nikita Kucherov would seal the game with an empty net goal and Tampa Bay would leave Amelie Arena with their first victory of the year, 5-3 against a young, resilient Nashville Predators team.
Three Stars of the Game
Third Star: TBL Brandon Hagel (1 goal)
Second Star: TBL Brayden Point (3 assists, 3 points)
First Star: TBL Nick Paul (2 goals, 1 assist, 3 points)
Full Game Recap
Stats Recap
(Author’s Note: I will have an explainer for these charts up in the near future – until then, feel free to ask me about them on Twitter @BryanBastin)
