The Nashville Predators kick off their preseason with a double header today against the Florida Panthers. Cody Glass and Tommy Novak hope to capitalize on growing chemistry with their linemates while Andrew Brunette wants to see creativity on the power play.
Andrew Brunette's message to his new team on day one of training camp was that every player was starting with a clean slate. Today veterans and rookies have an opportunity to show the new bench boss their skill sets as the Nashville Predators take on the Florida Panthers in a preseason double header in Sunrise, FL. Game one will take place at 1:00 pm CT followed by game two puck drop at 5:00 pm CT.
Several veterans will sit out today's games. Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg, Ryan O'Reilly, Ryan McDonagh, Tyson Barrie, and Luke Schenn will not be playing in Florida. The rosters for game one and two can be found HERE.
Potential line combinations
With Brunette's "clean slate" philosophy and new faces on the roster, there has been rampant offseason speculation about line combinations. Based on training camp practices and scrimmages, there are a few potential forward combinations fans could see in today's games.
Tommy Novak, who took full advantage of his NHL opportunity last season, has been playing with another of last season's call ups, Kiefer Sherwood during training camp this week. Novak and Sherwood have carried over their chemistry from their late push in April. In Saturday's scrimmage they shared ice time with Phil Tomasino, and that may be a trio Brunette play together in the early game.
Another forward trio that has been buzzing in training camp so far is Cody Glass with new additions Gustav Nyquist and Denis Gurianov. The three skated together over the summer when Nyquist and Gurianov got to town, and they have spent a majority of their time working together this week at camp. There is a lot to like about this grouping that combines Nyquist's speed with Glass's two way game, and it gives Denis Gurianov an opportunity to finish on offensive opportunities. These three players will skate in the second game of today's double header.
Players to watch
Joakim Kemell
A player who has been living up to his hype in training camp is 19-year-old Joakim Kemell. The Finnish winger had an outstanding postseason in Milwaukee scoring eight goals and ten points in his 14 playoff games. Kemell's puck handling and shooting — especially his one timer — stand out, but he also plays a physical two way game. He had a strong performance in the rookie showcase but will be competing against bigger, more experience competition today. Kemell will play in the 1:00 pm CT game.
Alexandre Carrier
With plenty of defensive talent on the roster this season, Alexandre Carrier is looking to earn ice time with a strong preseason performance. Roman Josi and Luke Schenn have been pairing up in camp as have Ryan McDonagh and Tyson Barrie, which leaves plenty of competition for that third defensive duo.
Jeremy Lauzon, Dante Fabbro, Spencer Stastney, Jordan Gross, Roland McKeown, Kevin Gravel, and Jack Livingstone each played on the blue line last season, and the competition for NHL ice time between depth defenders will be one of the most interesting storylines of this preseason. Carrier will join Lauzon, Livingstone, McKeown, rookie Tanner Molendyk and Milwaukee standout defenseman Marc Del Gaizo in game two today.
Power Play
Nashville struggled last season on the power play, finishing near the bottom of the league when it came to converting on the man advantage. The addition of Ryan O'Reilly and the late season performances on the power play by young players like Tommy Novak and Phil Tomasino open up new opportunities for the Predators on special teams.
The same can be said for Brunette's special team's philosophy. On Sunday, the players worked on the power play for the first time, and Brunette shared his preseason thoughts on piecing together a future power play.
The Predators and Panthers double header today will be streamed live at nashvillepredators.com and 1025. The Game will have the radio call.
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