The night started out promising with an even pace of play against the Las Vegas Golden Knights. It looked to be an even matchup where the Nashville Predators played well on both sides of the ice.
The defense started strong and withheld the Knights from too much time spent in their offensive zone. It did not take long for them to adjust and make their way to the front of Saros.
Juuse Saros looked to be the lone defender but made some excellent saves to keep them in the game. The Golden Knights continued to sustain pressure and create chances off turnovers. They would go on to take advantage of three turnovers to push behind Saros.
Filip Forsberg made his return from an upper-body injury. He said he felt he was getting the rust off at the start, but would warm up and be the lone scorer of the night. The first apparent goal was ruled good on the ice, but the playing of “Let It Be” began. After a lengthy review and coach’s challenge, the goal was overturned.
Forsberg answered with a breakaway goal to open the official scoring. He saw his second goal of the night while on the powerplay with 6:09 remaining in the third period. Just as the crowd began to get back into the game, Vegas scored an empty-net goal to end the game.
It goes without saying that the execution from this Predators team lacked in all areas of tonight’s game. Head Coach John Hynes was evidently displeased with his team’s performance. He would go on to say that although the Golden Knights are a good team, they lost tonight due to bad decision-making.
The Predators struggled in their offensive and defensive zones once the Golden Knights claimed the momentum of the game. There was a lack of execution in every area of the game, including the powerplay. They struggled to create good opportunities in front of Lehner even with the man advantage. This team needs a sense of control in their game if they will have success.
The Nashville Predators will be back at Bridgestone Arena on Friday at 5:00 p.m. to take on the New Jersey Devils.
