Game 1
Wild 3 – Predators 1
The Predators were high-energy, fast, and alert, but they managed only one goal.
Last season, in most games, Nashville came out flat. Opponents scored early, and the rest of the night was an uphill battle. In Game 1 of the 2026–27 season, we saw an energetic Predators team. They were faster than Minnesota and attacked relentlessly through the first half of the first period.
Minnesota’s suffocating defense eventually caught up with the Preds. As the game wore on, Nashville had little space to work with. Every battle for offensive-zone time was a struggle. The Wild are a large, heavy team with several elite puck-handlers, and Nashville had no answer for them.
It was clear the Predators do not have the talent or the size to match the top teams.
They will not be a doormat this season, though. They can hang with those teams and look more talented than the middle and lower tiers. A playoff berth is not out of the question.Oct 2, 2026 
The Hockey News
