The first Saturday night in Smashville of the season has arrived, and a newfound rivalry continues tonight at Bridgestone Arena as the Predators host the Carolina Hurricanes.

Technically, this isn't the first meeting between the Preds and Canes since the two got together in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last spring - Nashville and Carolina played twice in the preseason earlier this month - but this get together will mean something in the standings, and the Predators are in search of their first win of the new campaign, too.

The waiting is almost over.

After three weeks of Training Camp, six preseason games - and two years since the Predators started a fresh season in front of a sold-out Bridgestone Arena - Nashville is set to host Opening Night to begin the 2021-22 NHL season.

Tonight's guest? The Seattle Kraken, who will be playing just their second game ever after becoming the League's 32nd team and joining the ranks to start this new campaign.

And, as always, the Opening Night excitement is there, perhaps just as much as ever before.

Just like that, the preseason finale is here.

Nashville's dress rehearsal comes this afternoon as the Predators host the Carolina Hurricanes at Bridgestone Arena (3 p.m. CT) in the final contest for both clubs before the 2021-22 regular season begins next week.

While games of the exhibition variety don't count in the standings, of course, the Preds wouldn't mind finishing the preseason on a four-game win streak, and that's possible today thanks in part to a 3-2 overtime win at Carolina on Tuesday night. Ryan Johansen and Matt Duchene scored in regulation for Nashville before Filip Forsberg set up Philip Tomasino in OT to finish off the night.

The penultimate game of Nashville's preseason schedule has arrived, and the Predators have traveled to Raleigh to take on the Hurricanes this evening at 6 p.m. CT.

The visit to PNC Arena marks the first time the Preds have been back to Carolina since facing the Canes in the opening round of the 2021 postseason, and while tonight's exhibition contest likely won't have the same animosity as a playoff tilt, there is still plenty to play for.

The preseason schedule is already halfway complete for the Predators, and game No. 4 on the docket arrives tonight at Bridgestone Arena as the Tampa Bay Lightning come to town at 7 p.m. CT.

This evening's contest is the first of two preseason outings for the Preds in Nashville, and the home team is coming off their first exhibition win of Training Camp with a 6-2 victory over the Lightning on Thursday night. Filip Forsberg and Egor Afanasyev each tallied twice in the win, while Matt Duchene and Tommy Novak also found the back of the net.

The Nashville Predators are headed back to the Sunshine State - this time to the Gulf Coast - to face the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight at AMALIE Arena (6 p.m. CT) as the preseason schedule continues.

Tonight's contest in Tampa is exhibition contest three of six on the docket for the Preds, and they'll be looking for their first victory of the preseason after dropping a pair of contests to the Panthers on Sunday.

For the first time in two years, the Nashville Predators are set to play a preseason game. And then another.

The Preds are in South Florida to take on the Panthers today in a pair of contests - set for 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. CT from the FLA Live Arena in Sunrise - and after 18 months of adapting, those involved will be eager to start the preseason schedule and get a taste of game action just a few days into the start of Training Camp.

After getting situated back in Nashville, Head Coach John Hynes and the Predators have held two days of practices and scrimmages with the 55 players on the camp roster, and 40 of those participants will dress at some point today affording the bench boss an early look at most of his options.

Win another home game and force a Game 7. 

That's the message for the Nashville Predators after they fell in overtime in Game 5 and were pushed to the brink of elimination. The home team has won every contest so far in the Round One series between Carolina and Nashville, with the Hurricanes claiming Games 1, 2 and 5 at PNC Arena and Nashville answering with victories in Games 3 and 4 at Bridgestone Arena.

The playoff series is back in Music City this evening (at 8:30 p.m. CT) with the Preds attempting to hold serve. Nashville has twice forced a Game 7 when down 3-2 in a series and on home ice - both times in 2016. 

Nashville's lone lineup alteration for Game 5 was replacing fourth-line forward Mathieu Olivier with Tanner Jeannot. That line potted two goals off the stick of Yakov Trenin in the contest. 

Winger Viktor Arvidsson has not played since Game 2 with an upper-body injury. He did not participate in Thursday's morning skate and looks unlikely to play in Game 6. 

The Predators are on the brink of elimination, but they'll have the energy of 14,107 strong tonight at Bridgestone Arena when they host the Hurricanes in Game 6 of their first round matchup at 8:30 p.m. CT.

Carolina took a 3-2 series lead on Tuesday night when they defeated the Preds by a 3-2 final in overtime, the third consecutive game that required at least one OT to determine a winner.

The Predators have returned to Tennessee, and with each team perfect at home in this series thus far, Nashville will have to win one more in their building to force a seventh and deciding game - but first things first.

[View: Digital Preds Press]

[Read More: Preds Projected Lineup for Game 6]

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The series won't be tied for much longer.

A second-straight, double-overtime victory for the Predators on Sunday evened their Round One series with the Hurricanes at two games apiece. Preds forward Mathieu Olivier took winger Tanner Jeannot's place in the lineup for Game 4. Defenseman Dante Fabbro participated in warm-ups, but did not play.

The home team has won every contest so far, with Carolina taking a 2-0 lead in the playoff series before Nashville answered with wins of their own on Friday and Sunday. Tonight, Game 5 (at 7 p.m. CT) at PNC Arena will determine which team will take a lead in the series and which one will be pushed to the brink of elimination.

Nashville held a full morning skate on Tuesday at PNC Arena. Viktor Arvidsson, who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury, was not present.