Tonight is game two of three for the Nashville Predators on their current road trip.
Goalie Juuse Saros will make his fourth start of the season against the Montreal Canadiens in hopes of picking up the Predators’ second win to begin the 2026-27 season.
According to Nashville Predators road play-by-play voice Max Herz, Juuse Saros was in the starters’ crease for practice this morning. Matt Murray will be backing him up as well, since goalie Justus Annunen is still on injured reserve.
Nashville is coming off a 5-4 overtime loss on Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Predators led 3-0 and 4-2 at one point in that contest. Toronto fought back, and their captain Auston Matthews scored the game-winning goal.
Now the Nashville Predators are poised to pick up where they left off and control the whole game, not just parts of it. The Montreal Canadiens are a quick team with highly skilled forwards.
Nashville is also playing against former Predators defenseman Alexandre Carrier tonight. He’s also celebrating his 30th birthday as well, taking on the franchise that drafted him in the fourth round in 2015.
William Trudeau to make first appearance at Bell Centre
After spending the last four seasons with the Montreal Canadiens organization, defenseman William Trudeau will get to skate in his hometown team on Thursday night.
Trudeau made his NHL debut last weekend on the Predators’ third defensive pairing. Now he gets to skate in front of 30+ friends and family tonight.
The 23-year-old D-man was traded from the Canadiens this summer on June 26 to the New York Rangers for Brett Berard.
Well, the Rangers waived Trudeau before finalizing their opening night roster, and General Manager Chris MacFarland put a claim on him. It’s been a whirlwind for Trudeau over the last few weeks, but he’s managing the situation as best as he can.
“It puts you outside your comfort zone. I think for any human it’s a great thing to learn from yourself,” Trudeau said of his experience jumping between NHL teams.
“It was a little stressful at first, but getting going and meeting new people while going somewhere else, it’s just for the best. Nothing happens for nothing, I do believe that. I’ve enjoyed every moment of it, though.”
Vitali Pinchuk has yet to make his NHL debut
After being recalled from the Milwaukee Admirals, the Belarusian forward has not dressed in the lineup for Nashville. When he does, it will be his NHL debut this season.
Head Coach Andrew Brunette has wanted the forward to get acclimated. Pinchuk has done so this week at team practices and used this time to hone in on what is expected during games.
Pinchuk was still rotating on Nashville’s line rushes on Wednesday afternoon. Barring any changes, he’s not expected, at least for now, to make his NHL debut in Montreal.
Should Pinchuk end up in the lineup, he may be used as the final forward and have a top-six forward double-shift to play with him. Only time will tell if Brunette and his staff will put Pinchuk in the lineup while the team is still on the road.
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Nashville Predators Decide to Start Juuse Saros in Montreal