Hockey officially returned on Monday as the future of the Tampa Bay Lightning opened the 2026 Prospect Showcase with a 3-1 loss against the Nashville Predators at Invisalign Arena in Morrisville, North Carolina.
Connor Kurth got Tampa Bay going, burying his rebound chance moments after a Lightning power play expired for a 1-0 lead. With just over seven minutes left in the first period, Kurth deflected a Dyllan Gill shot from the point and then tucked the rebound into the net.
“We were at the end of the power play, and I thought Giller was just going to put one on net because they had a guy coming from the penalty box behind him. I just tried to get in front of that, tipped it and we got a greasy one, just trickled in.”
The Predators then scored three straight goals to take the win in what ended as a physical matchup with multiple fights.
Tampa Bay ends the event with a 2 p.m. game against Carolina Hurricanes prospects on Tuesday. Before then, here are three takeaways from game one at Invisalign Arena in Morrisville, North Carolina:
1. Meneghin showed comfort in busy start
The first few shifts of Monday’s game favored Nashville, but goaltender Harrison Meneghin stopped every puck he faced to keep the Predators off the scoreboard.
He put an exclamation point on the effort in the final minute of the first period, sprawling to deny Nashville’s Joey Willis on an open power-play drive to the net.
Meneghin then stopped a 1-on-1 look to start the second period following a defensive zone turnover by Tampa Bay. He played the first half of Monday’s game and didn’t allow a goal.
“It was a good first half for me,” Meneghin said. “It was nice to get the game feel back. It’s been a minute, so I think there’s some things I’d like to clean up, but for the most part it went pretty well.”
The 22-year-old goalie made 14 starts in the ECHL for the Orlando Solar Bears, posting a 4-9-0 record and .889 save percentage. He also made his first career AHL start.
“He was rock solid,” forward Sam O’Reilly said of Meneghin’s game Monday. “He was great for us all night, made some big saves and kept us in the game there.”
2. O’Reilly stood out through versatility
After not getting to see O’Reilly play in development camp scrimmages due to a wrist injury, fans got to watch plenty of the forward prospect on Monday.
His versatility was visible in the effort, in which he played alongside Benjamin Rautiainen and Ethan Gauthier.
“It was good. It was fun,” he said of playing with that duo. “We’ll keep building chemistry as we go, and we got the first game out of the way, got the jitters out. Just keep getting better.”
Skating at 4-on-4 late in the second period, the Predators had an open lane to the net. O’Reilly chased down the Nashville player on the backcheck and disrupted the play, preventing a shot on goal as the clock neared zero.
O’Reilly also played as the team’s starting center on Monday, featured on the top power play unit and killed penalties. He won multiple faceoffs, and his teammates treated him to stick taps after a blocked shot in the second period helped erase a four-minute Nashville power play.
“He’s just a 200-foot guy,” Kurth said of O’Reilly. “I don’t know who I’d compare him to because he’s really special. You saw it on the PK when he just soaked (blocked) one. He’s just an all-around, 200-foot player, but he’s got some special offensive ability as well.”
O’Reilly, 20, scored 71 points in 56 OHL games last season, helping the Kitchener Rangers win the Memorial Cup. The 2026-27 campaign marks his first in professional hockey.
“Obviously with a short training camp, you’ve got to be good out here,” O’Reilly said, “so I’ll give it my all, and I’m just trying to help the team win.”
3. Ferocious from the start
Members of the Lightning front office said over the last several practices that they were looking for players to gain experience this week. They also said they wanted to see which players ‘want it’ and are willing to work for opportunities.
Monday was a physical contest, and the Lightning prospects were quick to stick up for one another—defenseman Tomas Kralovic, a 2026 third-round pick, stepped up to fight a 6-foot-7 Michel Myloserdnyy in the third period after a hit on Oleg Kulebiakin.
It happened again late in the game after forward Ethan Czata was interfered with, as two separate fights broke out.
“There was a really high compete level from everybody and a lot of caring. It was a pretty feisty game out there, and we didn't back down,” Syracuse Crunch head coach and general manager Joel Bouchard said. “You always like to see how the guys are going to show up, because it's kind of a taste of pro hockey. It was fun to see.”
The team expects the intensity to continue Tuesday against Carolina. They want to improve further as training camp draws another day closer.
“Just a little better on every single thing,” Bouchard said of his hopes for game two. “I think we made it complicated at times with puck play and puck decisions, but it's expected. It's fast, and the guys are working hard. We're a little out of sync since we’ve only had two practices, but it's the same thing for the other side. That was their second game, and I'm expecting us to be way better tomorrow in some areas.”
