The Predators welcomed the Carolina Hurricanes to Bridgestone Arena for Nashville's final home preseason game. Head coach Andrew Brunette used tonight's game to get a closer look at a potential regular season roster and to give newcomer Samuel Fagemo a opportunity to play preseason minutes with the Predators.
The Carolina Hurricanes used tonight's game as a chance to give players battling for potential roster spots more preseason ice time. Coach Rod BrindA'Mour played mostly PTOs and prospects while Antti Raanta took his place in net for the Canes.
The beginning of the game was all Carolina as the Hurricanes recorded four shots on net in just over one minute of play. A turnover exiting the defensive zone gave Carolina a two on one, and Ryan Suzuki scored to get the Hurricanes on the board first at 3:37. Nashville was able to answer back quickly. Juuso Pärssinen's persistence behind the net created a turnover in the offensive zone. Jeremy Lauzon put the puck on net with a shot from the blue line and Ryan O'Reilly tipped in his first goal in gold at 4:15.
The Predators got the first power play of the night as Domenick Fensure headed to the box for a hooking call. Ryan O'Reilly connected with Filip Forsberg on a cross ice pass, and Forsberg scored at 8:49 to give Nashville the power play goal and a 2-1 lead.
The Hurricanes went on the power play at 13:51 as Colton Sissons sat for a slash. Gustav Nyquist rang a shorthanded chance off the pipe and Saros and the penalty kill handled the two minutes.
Nashville scored their third goal of the opening period at 8:57 as Roman Josi found a streaking Kiefer Sherwood who lifted the puck over Raanta. Nashville headed into the first intermission with a 3-1 lead.
Early in the second period, Alexandre Carrier headed to the box for an interference call, but the Hurricanes couldn't capitalize on the power play opportunity. Midway through the period, a net front scrum sent Jeremy Lauzon and Zach Aston-Reese to their respective boxes. Just twenty seconds later Dylan Coghlan committed a hold, and less than a minute after that Nick Shore joined his teammates for a slash. The Predators were called for too many men on the ice after the Shore penalty. At four on four, Gustav Nyquist scooped up a Josi rebound to score at 13:22.
Samuel Fagemo, who Nashville claimed off waivers on Sunday, highlighted his shooting ability as he lifted the puck past Raanta to give Nashville a goal with just :26 seconds remaining in the second period. The teams headed to the locker rooms with Carolina holding a slight advantage in shots on goal but Nashville holding a commanding 5-1 lead on the scoreboard.
Pyotr Kochetkov began the third period in net for the Hurricanes. Zach Aston-Reese was called for a four minute high sticking penalty at 4:20, Despite some quality chances by both units, Nashville couldn't score on the power play. The Predators had another chance on the man advantage with less than five minutes to play but didn't convert.
Juuso Pärssinen headed to the penalty box for a slash with a minute remaining, but Nashville's active penalty kill prevented a late score. Nashville defeated the Hurricanes by a score of 5-1 and will face the Hurricanes tomorrow night in Raleigh for their final preseason game.
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