The Nashville Predators' slow start gave way to better second and third periods, but Tampa Bay's power play capitalized on penalties as the Predators lose their season opener 5-3.
The Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning kicked off the 2023-24 NHL season this afternoon at Amalie Arena. It was a very different Predators team than the one that took the ice for the first game last season, and the team is still very much learning each other and Andrew Brunette's system.
The Tampa Bay Lightning had one very notable player absent from their opening day lineup. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy will miss approximately two months at the beginning of the season after having back surgery.
It was a tentative start for the Nashville Predators who spent much of the first half of the opening period defending. Nashville didn't record their first shot on goal until seven minutes into the game. At 9:48 Nikita Kucherov found the back of the net to give the Lightning a 1-0 lead.
The teams exchanged penalties but both penalty kills held, With less than a minute remaining in the first period, Roman Josi was directed to the penalty box for a slash. The teams headed into the first intermission with Tampa Bay leading 13-2 in shots on goal, 1-0 on the scoreboard, and with 1:30 left on the power play to start the second.
Nashville was able to kill off the remainder of Josi's penalty to start the second period. The Predators began to pick up their game pace as the teams exchanged trips up and down the ice. A tripping call on Steven Stamkos at 10:04 gave Nashville another power play opportunity. The Predators spent much of the two minutes in front of goaltender Johansson and recorded three shots on goal but couldn't convert the man advantage into a tying goal.
A second power play chance generated more quality chances for Nashville, but it cost them a player as Cody Glass was hit in the helmet by a Tyson Barrie shot. Glass laid on the ice and was eventually helped down the tunnel by the Predators medical staff. Tampa Bay killed off the penalty, but Nashville continued to pressure offensively.
A two on one chance finally got the Predators on the board as Filip Forsberg toe dragged around Victor Hedman to find Ryan O'Reilly in front of the net. O'Reilly tipped the puck past Johansson to tie the game at 16:15. Nashville closed the shots on goal gap to 18-15 and headed into the second intermission with a score of 1-1.
Juuso Pärssinen wasted no time in the third period scoring a goal five hole after Tampa Bay fumbled the opening face-off. Roman Josi scored less than a minute later, but the goal was called off because Luke Evangelista interfered with Johansson. Shortly after the no goal, Josi headed to the penalty box for an interference call, and the Lightning's lethal power play tied the game up with a goal by Nicholas Paul.
Less than a minute later, a penalty by Luke Schenn resulted in a penalty shot for Brandon Hagel. Hagel scored on Saros giving Tampa Bay the 3-2 lead and the momentum.
A penalty by Nikita Kucherov gave Nashville another power play at 7:06, and Tommy Novak threaded the puck through a tiny window top shelf to tie the game back up. A high stick call on Jeremy Lauzon gave Tampa Bay a power play chance, Nicholas Paul his second goal of the game, and the Lightning the 4-3 lead. Phil Tomasino took his turn in the penalty box for a delay of game call midway through the third, but Nashville survived those two minutes.
With 2:18 remaining, Juuse Saros headed to the bench to give the Predators a 6 on 5 advantage. Nashville pressured Johansson with shots on net, but it was Nikita Kucherov who scored an empty net goal with less than two seconds remaining to give Tampa Bay a 5-3 win.