Game Day: Hurricanes vs. Preds Preview

The first Saturday night in Smashville of the season has arrived, and a newfound rivalry continues tonight at Bridgestone Arena as the Predators host the Carolina Hurricanes.
Technically, this isn't the first meeting between the Preds and Canes since the two got together in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last spring - Nashville and Carolina played twice in the preseason earlier this month - but this get together will mean something in the standings, and the Predators are in search of their first win of the new campaign, too.

"I'm really excited for it," Preds forward Tanner Jeannot said of facing the Hurricanes. "It's a team I've probably seen the most of in my NHL career, so I'm pretty familiar with the guys that we're going to be going against and I'm really excited for it. We've been building up kind of a rivalry here, so it's going to be a lot of fun. We're going to be coming out hard, they're going to be coming out hard and it's going to be a good battle."
Nashville's first outing of the season came Thursday night, a 4-3 loss on home ice to the NHL's newest franchise, the Seattle Kraken. As is typically the case in the early going, some things could have been better, but the Preds improved as the night went on, and the final frame against the Kraken left plenty to build on.

"I think we ended the third period playing the way we wanted to play," Jeannot said. "We were rolling over shifts and hemming them in their end and just putting pucks in smart places so we could control it in the offensive zone. We've just got to continue to build on that, and then little things like coming out of our end, just being a little cleaner and crisper and controlling the puck in the O-zone - I think if we build on that, we're going to have some success."
Being back in front of a full Bridgestone Arena was a highlight of Opening Night as well, and in just their second game of the 2021-22 season, the Preds are set for a bit of animosity as the evening commences.
"Both teams are very familiar with each other, and both teams really know what to expect," Preds Head Coach John Hynes said Friday. "There's no unknown to how each team plays, how competitive we know that the game is going to be and it's a good test for us. It's a good opportunity for us to better respond to some of the areas, competitively, that we need to be better in than we were against Seattle. It's a good challenge for us, a good matchup."
Update:
The Predators have recalled
goaltender Connor Ingram from Milwaukee (AHL). Additionally, goaltender David Rittich has been added to the NHL's COVID-19 protocol list.

The Good Guys:

Mikael Granlund led the Predators with three points (1g-2a) in Thursday's opener, while Eeli Tolvanen and Roman Josi also found the back of the net. Filip Forsberg added a pair of assists on the night, and Juuse Saros made 22 saves to start the season.
Forward Philip Tomasino made his NHL debut on Thursday night; forward Rocco Grimaldi, as well as defensemen Matt Benning and Mark Borowiecki, were scratched for the Preds.

The Opposition:

Carolina began the season with a 6-3 win over the New York Islanders on Thursday night. Andrei Svechnikov scored twice for the Canes in their opener, and Teuvo Teravainen, Nino Niederreiter, Jesper Fast and Jordan Martinook also tallied in the victory. Goaltender Frederik Andersen made his Hurricanes debut and stopped 25 shots in the win.

All-Time Meetings:

The Predators are 17-17-(1)-4 all-time against the Hurricanes, including an 11-7-(0)-1 record at Bridgestone Arena.
Nashville went 2-5-1 against Carolina during the 2020-21 regular season, going 2-2-0 at Bridgestone Arena and 0-3-1 at PNC Arena. The Predators defeated the Hurricanes in their final two games of the regular season; their victory on May 8 clinched a playoff berth, and their 5-0 shutout on May 10 served as Pekka Rinne's final NHL game.
Nashville and Carolina shared an AHL affiliate - the Chicago Wolves - in 2020-21; 18 players on a Nashville contract suited up for the Wolves last season, including Philip Tomasino, Tanner Jeannot and Alexandre Carrier.
Historically, Nashville picked up its first-ever victory as an NHL franchise on Oct. 13, 1998 in a 3-2 win over Carolina. Andrew Brunette scored the franchise's first goal at 5:12 of the first period.

Notables Versus Carolina:

Matt Duchene (6g-8a), Ryan Johansen (5g-9a) and Mikael Granlund (4g-10a) each have 14 career points against Carolina, tied for the most among Predators skaters. Johansen (2g-2a), Mattias Ekholm (1g-3a) and Dante Fabbro (4a) led the Predators in points vs. the Hurricanes in the 2020-21 campaign.
Filip Forsberg owns four goals and nine points in 17 career meetings with Carolina. Tanner Jeannot made his NHL debut vs. Carolina on March 2, 2021; he recorded his first career multi-point outing and shorthanded goal on May 10, 2021 against the Hurricanes (1g-1a).

When You Go:

Tonight's festivities at Bridgestone Arena begin at 4 p.m. CT
with a Plaza Party prior to Arena doors opening at 5 p.m.. Saturday Night in Smashville on Bally Sports South returns this season, bringing the excitement of live television to the heart of downtown Nashville and kickstarting the Saturday party on Broadway. For each Saturday home game on Bally Sports, Predators telecasts will originate from the Bridgestone Arena main plaza and feature fans, Predators alums, special guests and local celebrities.
The show starts at 6 p.m. CT this evening, and the first guest of the season will be country music recording artist Ryan Hurd, with the Nashville singer/songwriter joining Lyndsay Rowley and Terry Crisp for Predators LIVE pregame show and first intermission.
All guests aged 12 and older attending tonight's game will be required to show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 PCR or antigen test administered by a healthcare professional within 72 hours prior to the event that includes their name and the date of the test.
Fans attending the game are encouraged to use the CLEAR Health Pass
to provide easy proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test and offer safer and faster fan entry into events held at the venue.
The CLEAR Health Pass - Bridgestone Arena's preferred vaccine verification method - is a free mobile app that securely houses COVID-19 vaccination and test information. Predators fans and all Bridgestone Arena attendees ages 18 and older are encouraged to utilize the CLEAR Health Pass app to make entry into the venue as smooth as possible. All Bridgestone Arena entrances, including the two main ones at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Broadway and Demonbreun Street, will accept the CLEAR Health Pass for venue access.
Anyone unable to use the CLEAR Health Pass
must follow all Bridgestone Arena entry protocols
.

Watch & Listen:

Coverage for this evening's 7 p.m. CT puck drop from Nashville begins at 6 p.m. CT with a special one-hour edition of the Predators Live! pregame show on Bally Sports South hosted by Lyndsay Rowley and Terry Crisp. Willy Daunic, Chris Mason and Kara Hammer have the call on the television side, while Pete Weber and Hal Gill will broadcast on 102.5 The Game and the Predators Radio Network. Pregame coverage on the radio begins at 6 p.m. with Darren McFarland. For broadcast information and channel locations throughout the country,
click here
.