Preds Split Preseason Doubleheader with Panthers

We're back.
Hockey returned to Smashville Monday as the Predators hosted the Florida Panthers for not one, but two exhibition games at Bridgestone Arena. The Preds dropped the first game 4-3 in overtime but responded with a 4-0 shutout victory in Game 2.

Forward prospect Juuso Parssinen had a goal and an assist for the Predators in Game 1, and Roland McKeown and Ryan Johansen scored one goal each. Connor Ingram made 10 saves on 12 shots before being replaced in net by Devin Cooley, who made 18 saves.
Ryan McDonagh had an assist in his Preds debut, and Matt Duchene and Mattias Ekholm had two assists apiece in the second game. Kevin Lankinen stopped all 13 shots faced in Game 2 before being replaced midway through the second period by Yaroslav Askarov, who made 12 saves of his own.
Filip Forsberg opened the scoring for Nashville in the first period of Game 2, but the Preds offense truly erupted in the third period. Cody Glass potted a power play goal off a feed from Duchene, and Colton Sissons finished a breakaway with a backhand to give Nashville a 3-0 lead. Tanner Jeannot tipped in a McDonagh shot for the ultimate game-winner.
Both of Monday's games offered Head Coach John Hynes and his staff an opportunity to evaluate their options and roster depth following three days of practices and scrimmages in training camp.
"There were some mistakes out there, but it's about giving it your best shot," said McKeown, who scored in the second period of Game 1 to tie the score at 2-2. "I like what Hynes said before the game - don't play it safe. Go do your thing and show us what you got… It's no secret we're all here for jobs and probably 10 of us out there were today, so I did my best."

Joey and Nino Don't Miss a Beat
Ryan Johansen and Nino Niederreiter may not have played together in more than a decade, but they showed in Game 1 that the connection they formed as teenagers on the WHL's Portland Winterhawks is still strong. Johansen redirected a shot from Niederreiter into the net late in the third period to tie the game at 3-3, ultimately sending it to overtime.
"[Niederreiter's] a shooter, and that's something I learned quickly in our time in Portland together," Johansen said. "It was real fun being on the ice with him again. We really were best friends back in the day, and it's funny being back together now. Doing some good things in the third period is something we'll look to build off and go from there."

Parssinen Shines in Bridgestone Arena Debut
Despite being one of the youngest players on the training camp roster, Parssinen looked right at home centering the Preds second line between Zach Sanford and Eeli Tolvanen in Game 1. The whole line played a strong 200-foot game, with Parssinen's two points (1g-1a) pacing the Preds. His breakaway goal cut the Panthers lead in half in the second period, and he earned the primary assist on McKeown's goal minutes later.
Still, Parssinen believes he can do even more.
"I felt good," Parssinen said. "Of course, it's nice to score a goal and get an [assist]… I think I made a good few plays. But of course, every time you can never be too satisfied and you can always be better."

Forsberg is Back in a Big Way
Forsberg, who signed an eight-year, $68 million contract extension with the Predators in July, opened the scoring in the second game on a feed from Duchene.

"Obviously, the results in preseason might not be the most important thing," Forsberg said. "But I thought we did a lot of good things out there. I thought we played them really well."

Glass Looks to Take the Next Step
The Preds re-signed Glass to a one-year, two-way contract in June and are still hoping to see his minor-league success pay off at the NHL level. Glass has spent much of the summer skating with the Predators veterans, who he believes have helped him gain confidence in his game.
"This is the hardest I've worked all summer," Glass said. "It's one of those years where it's a make or break for me, and I'm just trying to work my butt off and make this team because there's not a lot of chances left for me, and I'm trying to make the most of it and do the best I can."

Goaltending Depth Remains a Strength
While the Predators offense exploded for four goals in Game 2, Lankinen and Askarov were solid between the pipes, combining for 25 total saves in the shutout.
"I'm obviously happy with the result," Lankinen said. "It was fun to be there. I mean, I haven't played a hockey game in almost five months. So, I felt a little bit rusty at the start. But it was a lot of fun and a good result. I was happy with the way the team played in front of us, too. So, it was a good game for us."

Looking Ahead
Hynes and his staff have no shortage of decisions to make when it comes to narrowing down the roster before the regular season begins.
"After the first few days of camp we were all - staff, players, coaches - looking forward to these games," Hynes said. "There's a lot of competition and these guys have really dug in, and there's not a lot of separation."
The Predators will have Tuesday off before returning to practice Wednesday to prepare for back-to-back exhibition games against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday and Friday.
"We've kind of been the model of consistency here," McKeown said. "You know, it's great if you had a good game today, but now you've got to bring it back to practice on Wednesday, and then Tampa is back to back. So every day is important around here right now. It's go time."