This news is what many big hockey fans have been waiting on for what feels like decades. Now, the wait is over. The Nashville Predators will be hosting an outdoor NHL game for the 2022 NHL Stadium Series.
Details on the 2022 NHL Stadium Series
On February 26, 2022, the Preds and their fans will finally get the opportunity to experience an outdoor stadium matchup. The match will be against th Tampa Bay Lightning.
This will mark the first outdoor NHL game in Nashville. In addition, it will be interesting to see how the entire event goes, taking into consideration that the weather in the middle Tennessee area is quite cold during that time of the year.
Additionally, this will also be an interesting game because the Preds will be facing off against a very powerful team. The Lightning could potentially be a two-time defending Stanley Cup Champion, depending on if they win the Stanley Cup Trophy this year.
The Lightning has been playing pretty tough this season, and they have carried that on into the Finals. So, to see how the Preds handle such a team will be quite interesting to watch.
Now, to switch focus on the Lightning for just a moment, don’t forget that this outdoor stadium series will be their first-ever outdoor regular game.
Preds vs. Lightning Game Predictions
Of course, it is way too early to actually consider which team will come out on top on Feb. 26, but there’s nothing wrong doing so.
Now, for the Lightning. They are dominating the ice this postseason, which isn’t surprising by any means. The wrapped up the 2020-21 NHL season with a 36-17-3 record and finished third in the Central Division, one step above the Preds.
The Lightning have a strong edge on both offense and defense, as their playing style has been pretty good lately.
In contrast, the Preds have been playing ok this past season. Of course, they completed the season 31-23-2 and barely made it to the playoffs. Although their playoff run didn’t last very long, they still made a pretty good effort.
Some positive motivation for the Preds is that this will be a home matchup for them, which helps out a lot, considering the fact that they will be playing in front of many of their fans.
In addition, the Preds have some good players, such as Roman Josi, Ryan Ellis and an awesome goalie with Juuse Saros in between the pipes. Saros has played up to par where the Preds need him, so that’s deefinitely some positive news for the team overall.
So, if the Preds win this game, it will probably be by a very close margin. The Lightning will come in to that game quite strong.
The Lightning will want to bring a fast paced hockey game to the Preds so they can be shaken up a little. However, the Preds can be successful and win this game if they can block as many shots the Lightning pound on them as possible and, of course, find ways to score.
For the Preds, it would probably be a good idea to score at all given opportunities.
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