NHL Opening night recap: » Follow the Puck is Minnesota Hockey

Chicago Blackhawks 4
Pittsburg Penguins 2

It was one of the most hyped opening nights for the NHL in a long time with young superstar Connor Bedard facing off against veteran superstar Sydney Crosby. Bedard, was selected No. 1 in the 2023 NHL Draft, led the Chicago Blckhawks with five shots on goal in 21:29 of ice time and he also got his first point with a secondary assist on a goal from Ryan Donato late in the second period of the season opener for each team. Jason Dickinson scored the go-ahead goal at 15:29 of the third for the Blackhawks after Cole Guttman tied it midway through the period. Nick Foligno had a goal and an assist, Corey Perry had two assists, and Petr Mrazek made 38 saves and the Blackhawks would get the win 4-2 over the Penguins.

Tampa Bay Lightning 5
Nashville Predators 3

Nicholas Paul and Nikita Kucherov each scored twice to lead the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 5-3 victory over the Nashville Predators in their season opener on Tuesday night.

Paul’s second goal, a power-play goal at 10:52 of the third period, proved to be the game-winner. Kucherov added an empty-net goal with 2 seconds remaining to seal the victory.

Brayden Point had three assists for the Lightning, and Jonas Johansson made 28 saves in his first start for the team.

The Predators got goals from Ryan O’Reilly, Filip Forsberg, and Juuso Parssinen. Juuse Saros made 29 saves for Nashville.

The Lightning were 2-for-5 on the power play, while the Predators were 1-for-4.

Key Moments

Kucherov gave the Lightning a 1-0 lead at 9:48 of the first period with a power-play goal.
O’Reilly tied it 1-1 at 16:15 of the second period with his first goal in a Predators uniform.
Parssinen gave Nashville a 2-1 lead 11 seconds into the third period, but Paul tied it just over a minute later with a power-play goal.
Brandon Hagel gave the Lightning a 3-2 lead at 3:07 of the third period with a penalty shot goal.
Tommy Novak tied it 3-3 at 8:48 of the third period, but Paul put the Lightning back ahead with his game-winning goal at 10:52.
Kucherov added an empty-net goal with 2 seconds remaining to seal the victory.

What They Said

Lightning coach Jon Cooper: “There’s so much emotion that goes into the first game. I know there’s 82 of them, but there’s something special about the first one — the home opener. The guys wanted to impress.”
Predators coach Andrew Brunette: “I felt good about our game, but against this team you can’t get into penalty trouble. That’s where they gain all their momentum, their power play is elite. I’ve seen this record played too many times in this building with the penalties in the third period and changing the course of the game.”

Conclusion

The Lightning got off to a good start, defeating the Predators in their season opener. Paul and Kucherov were the stars of the game, each scoring twice to lead the way. The Lightning’s power play was also a key factor in the victory, going 2-for-5.

The Predators will look to rebound in their next game on Friday night against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Golden Knights Begin Title Defense with 4-1 Win Over Kraken

Adin Hill made 32 saves to lead the Vegas Golden Knights to a 4-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken in their season-opening game on Tuesday night.

Chandler Stephenson had a goal and an assist, and Mark Stone had two assists for the Golden Knights. Ivan Barbashev and Jack Eichel also scored for Vegas.

Jared McCann scored for the Kraken, and Philipp Grubauer made 24 saves.

The Golden Knights raised their Stanley Cup championship banner before the game, and they showed no signs of a hangover in their first game without Reilly Smith, who was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the offseason.

Vegas took a 1-0 lead in the first period on Stephenson’s goal, and they doubled their lead on Marchessault’s deflection. Barbashev added a third goal early in the second period, and the Golden Knights cruised to victory from there.

The Kraken made a push in the third period, but Eichel’s empty-net goal sealed the win for Vegas.

The Golden Knights will look to continue their winning ways on Thursday night when they host the Chicago Blackhawks.

Info source: www.NHL.com