5 things learned from Sept. 17 preseason games

Now that the 19-day, 110-game NHL preseason schedule has begun, it's time to take a closer look at the players, teams and stories that are making headlines in the weeks leading up to the start of the regular season on Oct. 3.
Here are five things we learned from the preseason games Monday:

Johansen-Forsberg-Fiala line helps Predators light up Panthers

The Nashville Predators brought the offense in a preseason-opening split-squad sweep of the Florida Panthers at BB&T Center.
The line of Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg and Kevin Fiala led the way in the second game with a combined 13 points in a 5-3 win. Fiala scored a goal and had four assists, Forsberg had a hat trick and an assist, and Johansen had a goal and three assists.
Juuse Saros made 24 saves and
Tom McCollum
made three to combine on a 5-0 shutout in the first game. Defenseman
Filip Pyrochta
, 22, had a goal and an assist. Defenseman P.K. Subban played a Predators-high 21:32, scored a goal and was a plus-2.

Kotkaniemi has memorable debut for Canadiens

Jesperi Kotkaniemi
, selected by the Montreal Canadiens with the No. 3 pick of the 2018 NHL Draft, won't soon forget his first game at Bell Centre.
Kotkaniemi scored a third-period goal to cap a 3-1 win against the Devils. The 18-year-old center was overwhelmed by the reaction from the fans.
"That was sick," Kotkaniemi told the Canadiens website. "I've never heard a crowd that loud. It was pretty unbelievable."
The fans weren't the only ones impressed by his goal, a one-timer from the right circle off a seam pass by defenseman
Rinat Valiev
.
"It was a really nice shot," forward Tomas Tatar said. "He has quick hands for sure. It was something terrific for him. He enjoyed it, and I think he deserved it. He played a great game for a young guy."

Quinn wins in Rangers debut

The New York Rangers' 4-3 overtime victory against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center gave coach David Quinn a win in his first game, but he wasn't getting overly excited about it.
"Once the game got going it just felt like another hockey game," he told the New York Post. "I know people might not believe that, but it's the truth."
Quinn did have a few things to get excited about, including defenseman Neal Pionk's overtime goal and game-high 23:13 of ice time.

There also was forward Chris Kreider, who assisted on the second of two goals by rookie forward
Lias Andersson
and logged 3:28 on the penalty kill. That's more shorthanded ice time than Kreider played combined the past two seasons (3:21). He wasn't on the ice for either of New Jersey's two power-play goals.

Vorobyov continues to impress Flyers

Mikhail Vorobyov
, 21, scored the Philadelphia Flyers' first goal in a 3-1 win against the New York Islanders at Wells Fargo Center, finishing a give-and-go with linemate Jakub Voracek at 16:56 of the first period.

A fourth-round pick (No. 104) in the 2015 NHL Draft, the 21-year-old is among those competing for the third-line center spot. He struggled in the face-off circle, going 4-for-19, but played 19:49, most among Flyers forwards.
"We're putting a lot on his plate and tonight he played on the power play in a little different spot," coach Dave Hakstol said. "He did a good job on the PK and I thought his 5-on-5 was good. He finished on the wrong side of percentages in terms of face-offs, so that's an area that he needs to put a little bit of focus on, but he played a good hockey game tonight."

First-round picks lead Oilers

Forward
Kailer Yamamoto
and defenseman
Evan Bouchard
, the Edmonton Oilers' most recent first-round picks, combined for three goals in a 7-4 win against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome.
Bouchard, the No. 10 choice in the 2018 NHL Draft, tied the game when he skated into the right circle, took a pass from rookie forward
Tyler Benson
and scored at 2:50 of the first period to make it 1-1.
Yamamoto, the No. 22 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, scored on a shorthanded breakaway at 15:04 of the first to give the Oilers a 2-1 lead. He assisted on rookie defenseman Ethan Bear's power-play goal at 19:39 of the second period that tied the game 3-3, then took a long pass from forward
Ryan McLeod
, Edmonton's second-round pick (No. 40) in 2018, broke in alone and scored at 6:07 of the third to give the Oilers a 4-3 lead.
Yamamoto, 19, had three assists in nine games with the Oilers last season before being returned to Spokane of the Western Hockey League. Coach Todd McLellan sees a more mature player this season.
"Most of his offensive talents have shown up on the scoresheet as assists and playmaking," McLellan told the Oilers website. "It was nice to see him finish. He's had numerous chances in his time with us. Finally the puck went in."

Tavares to make Maple Leafs debut at Hockeyville

John Tavares will
make his Toronto Maple Leafs debut
against the Ottawa Senators in the 2018 Kraft Hockeyville Canada game, at Lucan Community Memorial Centre in Lucan, Ontario. Tavares signed a seven-year, $77 million contract with the Maple Leafs on July 1.
Here is the full schedule for Tuesday (all times ET):
Penguins at Sabres, 7 p.m.
Blackhawks at Blue Jackets, 7 p.m. (NBCSCH+)
Flyers at Islanders, 7 p.m.
Bruins at Capitals, 7 p.m. (NBCSWA)
Hurricanes at Lightning, 7:30 p.m.
Senators at Maple Leafs, 7:30 p.m. (NHLN, SN, TVAS)
Blues at Stars, 8:30 p.m.
Golden Knights at Avalanche, 9 p.m. (NHLN [joined in progress], ALT)
Kings at Coyotes, 10 p.m.
Coyotes at Kings, 10:30 p.m.
Ducks at Sharks, 10:30 p.m.
Oilers at Canucks, 10:30 p.m. (NHLN [joined in progress], SN, SN1)