The Nashville Predators earned a point in the standings, but they ultimately fell to the Utah Mammoth by a 3-2 final on Saturday night at Bridgestone Arena. The result gives the Preds three out of a possible four points in their two-game homestand to start the season.
Filip Forsberg and Erik Haula tallied for the Predators, rookie Brady Martin collected his first NHL point and goaltender Juuse Saros made 20 saves on the night, but the final shot of the evening failed to fall in Nashville’s favor.
“I thought we played a pretty good game,” Preds Captain Roman Josi said. “I thought the first two periods were pretty good. I think last period - first 15 [minutes] - we kind of gave them a little bit too many looks. Even after they scored, I thought we had some good looks to get that winning goal. But, overall, I thought it was a pretty good game.”
“I thought there's lots of good,” Haula said. “We played well enough to win the game. I think we just kind of took our foot off the gas there for a little bit, and they were able to tie the game. And then we go to overtime, and it's kind of a coin toss. They got the extra today, but lots of good.”
After Utah took a 1-0 lead courtesy of Logan Cooley less than three minutes into the contest, Forsberg evened the score shortly thereafter when Martin caused a turnover before his linemate went five-hole on Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka for a 1-1 draw after one period.
The Predators also completed an impressive, four-minute penalty kill in the opening frame, and the second stanza was full of penalties as well, with Nashville’s PK continuing to hold strong. Then, off a netmouth scramble, Haula jammed home his first of the season in his second stint with the Preds to give his club a 2-1 lead through 40 minutes.
In the final frame, Josi appeared to have given the Preds a two-goal lead, but Utah was successful in a challenge for offside that took the goal away. Then, Jack McBain tied the score midway through the period to force overtime, and in the extra session, Utah controlled possession for almost the entirety before Dylan Guenther ended the contest.
“I thought we played a really good game,” Preds Head Coach Andrew Brunette said. “I think we kind of kept the momentum most of the game, maybe the three minutes early in the first period where we got a little bit loose and they scored. But besides that, I thought we had momentum most of the night. Did a lot of really good things, probably deserved a better fate.”
From here, the Predators will embark on their first road trip of the season - a four-game excursion through Eastern Canada before ending in Winnipeg next weekend - and Nashville will look to build on what they’ve started through two outings thus far.
“That first road trip, it’s always an important road trip,” Josi said. “Just getting on the road with the guys and getting together and you're playing four games, so it's a big road trip for us, especially [this early in the] season. It would be good for us to get on the road and get some wins on the road.”
“I just think we need to keep going,” Haula said. “That's where you always look for, that first road trip, that your intensity and the level of your play doesn't dip at all. If anything, you simplify and get better. I think that's going to be key for us.”
Notes:
Luke Evangelista played his first game of the season and collected an assist in 13:30 of ice time. Forwards Joakim Kemell and Ozzy Wiesblatt and defenseman Nick Blankenburg were scratched.
Brady Martin (18 years, 209 days) became the second-youngest player in Predators history at the time of his first career NHL point behind Scott Hartnell on Oct. 24, 2000 (18 years, 189 days).
The Predators will begin their four-game road trip on Monday afternoon in Ottawa for a tilt against the Senators before continuing onto Toronto, Montreal and Winnipeg later in the week.
