Preseason Game Day: Preds vs. Lightning Preview

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The Predators' first preseason game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, originally scheduled to be played in Tampa on Thursday, will now be held in Nashville due to Hurricane Ian. The puck will drop Thursday at 7 p.m. CT at Bridgestone Arena, and the preseason game between Nashville and Tampa scheduled for Friday at Bridgestone Arena remains scheduled for a 5 p.m. CT start.

Thursday's contest will be the Preds' third exhibition game of the preseason following Monday's doubleheader against the Florida Panthers.
In case you missed it
, Nashville dropped the first game 4-3 in overtime but responded with a 4-0 shutout victory in Game 2.
Below were the split-squad rosters from Monday's games:
Game 1 vs. FLA 9/26:
Niederreiter - Johansen - Tomasino
Sanford - Parssinen - Tolvanen
Huntington - McCarron - Smith
Afanasyev - Novak - Evangelista
Borowiecki - Fabbro
Gravel - Carrier
Stastney - McKeown
Ingram
Cooley
Game 2 vs. FLA 9/26:
Forsberg - Glass - Duchene
Trenin - Sissons - Jeannot
Leonard - Jankowski - Sherwood
Schneider - Kondelik - Nurmi
McDonagh - Ekholm
Lauzon - Gross
Del Gaizo - Wilsby
Lankinen
Askarov
Head Coach John Hynes, speaking after training camp practice on Wednesday, said fans should expect to see some different combinations in Thursday's game, particularly on offense.
"We'll switch it up a little bit," Hynes said. "I don't think there's one line that stayed the same. A lot of [defensive] pairs have stayed the same, but we'll try some different combinations for sure. Some of it is just trying to maybe even look at some lines… With a lot of guys competing for the same spots, but we're trying to put those lines together and let them practice today and play tomorrow or Friday and those and then evaluate which ones we like best of those combos."

The Predators reduced their training camp roster to 53 players Wednesday when the team assigned defensemen Jack Matier (OHL/Ottawa) and Graham Sward (WHL/Spokane) to their respective junior teams. Preseason games give Hynes and his staff an opportunity to evaluate their options in a game setting against another team as they narrow their roster down to the 27 players they will carry to the 2022 NHL Global Series.
There are plenty of personnel decisions still to be made, and Hynes said last week that the players at training camp had not been making those decisions any easier. So, did Monday's doubleheader provide any clarity?
"It's actually gotten harder," Hynes said. "So, I think [Thursday's] a strong evaluation day for us. It's important for the players to continue to do what they're doing. But it's also important for us to really evaluate the guys that we feel are going to give us the best chance, the guys that are ready, and try to put together a team that has strong components to it."
The preseason provides players an opportunity to play different roles, demonstrating their versatility and proving why they deserve a spot on the roster. A notable example from Monday's first game is winger Philip Tomasino, who saw time on the top line with Nino Niederreiter and Ryan Johansen after playing most of his minutes in the bottom-six in his rookie season in 2021-22.
"I want to be a top six guy for our team," Tomasino said. "I'm trying to do everything I can to kind of earn that trust from our coaches… Whether I'm in the top six or, or wherever I am, I think I've just got to do the best I can in whatever role I am in. But obviously, my goal is to be a top-six guy. So, that's what I'm striving for."

Training camp is about establishing a team identity and learning which roster components best fit with one another. For most players, this means playing on different lines and pairs almost daily while the coaching staff evaluates different combinations.
"I think everyone brings what they can," defenseman Dante Fabbro said. "Everyone's here for a reason. They've kind of specialized and gotten really good at their strengths, and everyone tries to work on the weaknesses. That's what I try to do every day and take it day by day. I know it's tough - it should be tough and you're supposed to push through things, and it's just kind of part of it."

The abbreviated training camp schedule ahead of the Global Series presents unique challenges, but even in the face of heightened intensity, this team has not let its foot off the gas.
"My design is trying to really push more," Hynes said. "It's important for us at any training camp to really get your work habits and the identity and attention to detail that you want to be able to play with. To be honest, I think the players make the camp that intense… Because there is a short amount of time, our intrasquad scrimmage games, our practices need to be really, really tight and competitive to get ourselves ready. And I think the camp has been intense because to be very honest, I think the players have really come to work every day."
The shortened training camp makes preseason games all the more valuable in helping the Preds strengthen their work ethic and foment their identity as a team that is difficult to play against.
"When you put that solid foundation of work in early, especially with the group we have here, I think it's great," Fabbro said. "I mean, it's only going to help us. Guys may be pushing through stuff right now and you're pushing through soreness or whatever, but it's just getting us ready for the season."
If Monday's doubleheader was a chance to shake off any dust lingering from the offseason, Thursday and Friday's matchups against the Lightning will be opportunities for the Preds to get as close as they can to midseason form before they head to Europe to face the San Jose Sharks.
"Sometimes it takes a little while to adjust," Tomasino said. "Even guys like myself who have been here for a year. Sometimes it takes a little bit to kind of get back into the groove of things. So, I think we're just really stressing on all the things we can control. Obviously, Tampa has a lot of great players on their side, but I think the focus is on our team and I think we'll be ready."
Last Time Out
The Predators decisively defeated the Lightning 6-1 in last year's preseason matchup at Bridgestone Arena. Nashville dropped both regular-season meetings vs. Tampa in 2021-22, but the Preds are 18-16-2 all-time against the Bolts.
Ticket Information
Season Ticket Citizens can request up to four complimentary general admission tickets for this preseason game and can purchase additional tickets for $10 each
here
. Military members can request up to two complimentary tickets and can purchase additional tickets for $10 each
here
. All others may purchase single game general admission tickets for $15 each
here
.
Watch & Listen
Thursday's game will be streamed on NashvillePredators.com. Fans may also listen to the game on ESPN 102.5 The Game with Pete Weber and Hal Gill on the call.