The game started with a ceremony to honor David Poile and Predators history–the two almost inseparable up to this point. After an emotional speech from Poile, the players got another brief warmup in, and then the puck dropped.
Nashville’s penalty kill got some early practice in as Spencer Stastney was called for holding the stick less than two minutes into the game. Yakov Trenin had the first shorthanded chance, but Colton Sissons had the shorthanded goal on a subsequent move, thanks to some great passing from Roman Josi. The Preds finished the penalty kill off with another Trenin shorthanded chance, but not another goal.
The Flames came back with some strong 5v5 play, scoring to tie it back up moments later as Noah Hanifin capitalized on some sloppy defensive coverage to get one past Juuse Saros. Juuso Pärssinen and Kiefer Sherwood responded with some great energy, and Josi drew a penalty to give the Preds a chance of their own on the power play.
Some strong penalty killing from the Flames kept the Preds from accomplishing anything with the skater advantage, but Ryan O’Reilly scored a few minutes later, with an assist from Ryan McDonagh (getting on the scoresheet in his first game back from injury). The Flames pushed back as the period continued, hitting a few more posts. A fight broke out late in the period between Michael McCarron and Dennis Gilbert, which ended in a McCarron takedown and the enthusiasm of the crowd.
After a strong start to the second, the Preds got hemmed in by the Flames. While they made it out of their own end without damage, a revenge sequence then set up some penalties. Jeremy Lauzon took exception to a Martin Pospíšil hit on Saros, which went uncalled, and Nikita Zadorov took exception to the Lauzon hit on Pospíšil. Lauzon and Zadorov fought, with Zadorov getting the better of the fight and Lauzon getting two minutes for, perplexingly, tripping.
The Preds were able to kill the penalty, and Jacob Markström made a couple of fantastic saves as they went back on the attack. Nashville continued to push for a while with no reward, before the Flames started to recover, but late in the period McCarron drew a tripping penalty from Blake Coleman and the Preds got another chance on the power play. Despite some good looks, including a few from Gustav Nyquist, the Preds were unable to convert–but Saros did at least make the save on the Andrew Mangiapane shorthanded chance.
Shortly after the teams returned to even strength, with just over a minute left in the period, Alex Carrier took a holding penalty. Sissons and Cole Smith got a shorthanded chance, but Markström made the save. The buzzer sounded just in time for the Preds, as a Flames shot got past Saros just after it sounded and was immediately waved off on the ice.
Back and forth play started the third off, with both teams nudging for possession. A phenomenal play by Filip Forsberg that resulted in a Carrier goal was reviewed on a Flames challenge for a hand pass, but was upheld as a good goal, since the puck went off a Flame first. Calgary therefore took a penalty for delay of game, but Forsberg was almost immediately called for a trip.
Both teams had some good chances on the four-on-four, and Saros had to make a couple of fantastic saves, but they returned to even strength without further scoring. Stastney then drew a holding penalty, sending Coleman back to the box, and after a long stretch of effort, some great playmaking by Phil Tomasino set Pärssinen up for a power-play goal, making it 4-1 with under three minutes to go.
Not content with that, Sherwood and Liam Foudy combined for a fantastic breakaway that drew two penalties, with a stoppage at 18:21. MacKenzie Weegar first committed a hold, then threw his stick to break up a pass, and Markström still had to make a great save. Sherwood missed the penalty shot he was awarded, but the Preds still got a power play for the hold.
Yegor Sharangovich scored shorthanded with under a minute to go, but it wasn’t enough; the clock ran out on the Preds’ first three-game win streak of the season.