3 Takeaways From Predators’ 2-1 Loss to Lightning

The Nashville Predators lost their first preseason game, suffering a 2-1 defeat to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Every goal was scored in the first period: the Lightning took the lead 1:33 into the game on an Ilya Mikheyev tip-in, and while Nashville center Brady Martin countered with a great move to score, the Lightning won off a Conor Geekie goal late in the first period.

The roster construction of both teams should be noted: the Lightning brought many star players in this game (Andrei Vasilevskiy, Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel, J.J. Moser, and John Carlson), while the Predators played just Juuse Saros and none of their other NHL rostered players. The Predators wanted to bring out their young guys to get some NHL action, and a few of them really impressed, but it wasn’t enough in the end. Still, there are some great things to take away from this.

Juuse Saros Was a Rock

Saros was the only player on the Predators last night that people would consider a lock to make the roster. That’s a lot of pressure, especially going against a Lightning team with several star NHLers playing the game.

Still, he stopped 20 of the 22 shots he faced, good for a .909 save percentage (SV%). That’s a great start for Saros, who is looking to rebound from a tough 2025-26 season. It gave security for the teammates to just play. When Predators sideline reporter Lyndsay Rowley asked about Saros’ impact on Tyson Jost, he said, “Nothing much has changed. Still a wall.”

Jost told Rowley about a story on the plane ride, where the Predators figured out that they would be playing the majority of the Lightning’s starters, to which Jost said to Saros, “Good thing we have you, right?” Well, Saros was a brick wall.

Brady Martin Really Impressed

Predators center Brady Martin was awesome as well. Drafted fifth overall in 2025, he has a fun playstyle, with bone-crunching hits and sturdy defensive play. However, the pick generated criticism for his lack of offensive upside versus Porter Martone.

Martin has shown much more offensive upside post-draft, especially in the World Juniors last season. Yesterday, he had a great move where he dangled past a Tampa Bay defender and deposited it behind Vasilevskiy.

“He created, and I thought him and [Schaefer] played really well together, especially the first two periods,” head coach Andrew Brunette said of Martin. “I think for me, a little bit more consistency in the third period, but I thought it was a great showing. He’s going against a pretty good lineup there, and I thought he played really well. I thought both of them…and all our young kids played well. So, it was a good day for everybody, besides the result.”

With the American Hockey League (AHL) allowing each team to put one 19-year-old on the roster, Martin is making a great case to become an AHLer this season and potentially become a full-time NHLer next season.

A Touching Tribute

The Predators also found a way to give a tribute to the late Brent Peterson. He was an assistant coach for them under Barry Trotz from 1998-2011. He helped set the culture for the early years of the Predators, and he earned some head coaching buzz during that time. He was a member of the Predators’ radio team from 2014-2017.

Peterson passed away on Sept. 11, 2026. The Predators are implementing a helmet sticker with his initials to honor him and his passing. They will honor him today with a celebration of life.

Schedule

The Predators will play their preseason home opener against the Lightning on Sept. 22, then they will face a home and home series against the Carolina Hurricanes to close out the preseason. They will face Carolina on the road on Sept. 24 and at home on Sept. 26 to conclude their preseason. Their first game of the regular season will be against the Minnesota Wild on Oct. 1.