Preds at Hurricanes, Round 1, Game 2: What You Need to Know

After Game 1 went in Carolina's favor on Monday, the Nashville Predators will look to even their first-round series with the Hurricanes tonight at PNC Arena in Raleigh.
The Canes topped the Preds by a 5-2 final to take a 1-0 series lead, and while the visitors did some good things, they know their effort ultimately wasn't enough to find success to start their run in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Tuesday afforded the Predators an opportunity to regroup and evaluate areas for improvement, and they'll look to build on the positives when the puck drops for Game 2 this evening at 7 p.m. CT.
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Game 2 Projected Lineup: Predators at Hurricanes
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"When you come into a big playoff game, there's kind of some nerves and all that you've got to get out, and I think that's on both sides, but at the same time, I thought we handled the first period really well," Preds defenseman Mattias Ekholm said of Monday's effort. "We got to our game, and I think even when they came with their forecheck, I thought we solved it pretty well. I think we did it the way that we want to play, so obviously if you look at that first 20 [minutes], that's where we've got to get to. Conversely, you see in the third, we kind of need to be better. There's lessons to be learned, but at the same time, we're not trying to get too low and get too high here. We know what we have to do, and we've just got to go out [tonight] and execute."
The Predators held off-ice workouts and team meetings on Tuesday in Carolina. Forward Viktor Arvidsson returned to the Nashville lineup after missing five games due to injury and skated on the top line with Ryan Johansen and Filip Forsberg.

Before the series even began, Predators Head Coach John Hynes alluded to the potential for lineup changes from Game 1 to Game 2 no matter the result. Nashville scratched forwards Brad Richardson, Rem Pitlick, Nick Cousins, Rocco Grimaldi, Eeli Tolvanen and Michael McCarron, defensemen Tyler Lewington, Matt Benning, David Farrance, Jeremy Davies and Dante Fabbro, as well as goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo for Game 1.
The Predators recalled forward Philip Tomasino from Chicago (AHL), on Tuesday, and he will report directly to Nashville to begin skating with the non-game group.
Update: Hynes addressed any potential lineup changes following the morning skate: "There will be lineup changes, yes, and some of them are performance-based and some of them are I have a couple question marks of if guys are going to be ready to play from a health perspective. [I'll] find out a little bit later today."

The Good Guys:
Filip Forsberg and Erik Haula found the back of the net in Game 1 for the Predators, and Juuse Saros made 33 saves in the loss. Forsberg extended his team postseason record in goals (27) and points (50) with his tally.
Alexandre Carrier, Tanner Jeannot, Mathieu Olivier and Yakov Trenin all played in their first career NHL playoff games, and Carrier earned his first career NHL playoff point with an assist on Haula's goal.
Forsberg, Haula, Carrier, Matt Duchene, Ryan Ellis and Ryan Johansen each recorded one point apiece in Game 1 to tie for the team lead in this postseason.
The Opposition:
Jordan Staal scored twice for Carolina in the 5-2 win, while Nino Niederreiter, Teuvo Teravainen and Andrei Svechnikov (empty-net goal) also converted on the night. Brett Pesce had a pair of helpers and is tied with Staal with two points apiece through one game. Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic recorded the win and stopped 22 Nashville shots on the evening.

Game 1 Notables:
The Predators moved to 9-12 all-time in Game 1 (6-7 on the road), and the game featured a combined 105 hits, with Nashville's 49 standing as the fourth-most in a playoff game in team history and its most since April 25, 2015 at Chicago.
Johansen assisted on Forsberg's goal to maintain the top spot on Nashville's all-time playoff assists list with 29. Haula added Nashville's second goal, his first in the playoffs as a member of the Predators. Yakov Trenin led all Preds players in hits with seven, while Duchene earned the primary assist on Haula's goal to give him three points (1g-2a) in five career postseason games with Nashville.
Show Your Preds Playoff Pride:
While the Preds are on the road in Carolina, and even when they return home for Games 3 and 4, there are plenty of ways for fans to love for their team in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with watch parties, Preds Pride Pickups, game-day offers and so much more. Click here for all the details and Stand With Us.
Watch & Listen:
Coverage for Game 2 from Raleigh begins at 6:30 p.m. CT with the Predators Live! pregame show on Bally Sports South hosted by Lyndsay Rowley and Terry Crisp. Willy Daunic, Chris Mason and Kara Hammer have the call on the television side, while Pete Weber and Hal Gill will broadcast on 102.5 The Game and the Predators Radio Network. Pregame coverage on the radio begins at 6 p.m.
Tonight's game may also be seen nationally on CNBC with puck drop set for 7 p.m. CT. For broadcast information and channel locations throughout the country,
click here
.
Streaming Info:
Listen to a Live Radio Feed
(only active during the game broadcast window).
Watch a Live Stream of the game
on the Bally Sports App or
Watch on NHL.TV