Game Day: Lightning vs. Preds
Nashville Hosts Tampa Bay as the Preseason Schedule Concludes
by Brooks Bratten @brooksbratten / Communications & Content Coordinator
Training camp is all but over, and the Nashville Predators have one final dress rehearsal as they host the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight at Bridgestone Arena.
It's the last opportunity for Preds Head Coach Peter Laviolette and his staff to evaluate their team in a game setting before there are points in the standings on the line, and after Thursday's 4-3 shootout loss - an effort that was less than acceptable in the eyes of the Preds - the exhibition finale means a bit more than usual.
Instead of going on the ice on Friday, Laviolette elected to hold team meetings instead to review a number of topics before putting things back into motion.
"[We're] just [looking to make] some corrections," Laviolette said. "A lot of puck decisions and some systematic stuff, some energy and execution, some effort, definitely some speed; there's a lot of things that we talked about that we'll try to get straightened out."
Video: The Predators close out the preseason tonight
"Every time you play a bad game, you don't feel good after the game, and it's the same in the preseason," Captain Roman Josi said. "You want to fix those things, and it's good to work on things, especially in preseason… We definitely take a lot of pride in those games, too. We have one more, and we have to make sure we get our game in order and play the way we want to play in the regular season."
Click here to see Nashville's projected lineup
Last Time Out:
The Predators battled back in the third period to force overtime against the Blue Jackets on Thursday, but ultimately fell in a shootout, 4-3. Scott Hartnell, Kevin Fiala and Matt Irwin scored for the Preds and Pekka Rinne turned aside 27 of 30 shots in 65 minutes of play.
The Opposition:
Tonight will mark the second time the Predators have faced Tampa Bay this preseason - Nashville fell 3-1 to the Lightning last week. Tampa Bay is 2-4-0 in their exhibition schedule and has lost three games this week, all to Florida.
Video: Roman Josi talks Preds vs. Lightning
Young Guns:
Forward Vladislav Kamenev and defenseman Samuel Girard, two youngsters vying for a final roster spot with Nashville, were two of the team's best players on Thursday night. They're likely to get one more chance to prove themselves tonight, and if they can build on their previous efforts, it could mean good things for either skater.
Skate of the Union:
The annual Skate of the Union Address takes place this afternoon prior to the night's contest, with festivities beginning on the Bridgestone Arena plaza at 3 p.m. CT. The first player panel starts at 4 p.m., followed by the executive panel at 4:45 p.m. before wrapping with a second player panel at 5:30 p.m. Doors to the Arena will open at 5:30 in advance of the 7 p.m. start.
Video: Laviolette shares final thoughts on Bolts vs. Preds
Take It In:
Fans within the Preds/FOX Sports Tennessee viewing area can tune into a livestream of tonight's game on NashvillePredators.com or can listen on the airwaves on 102.5 The Game and the Predators Radio Network. Fans may also follow along with PredsNHL on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.