Predators seek bounce-back against Canadiens in Montreal homecoming

The Nashville Predators arrived in Montreal on Thursday carrying the weight of a collapse. Three nights earlier, they had held a three-goal lead against Toronto at Scotiabank Arena, only to watch it evaporate in a 5-4 overtime loss that felt less like a setback than a pattern. Just weeks before, in a preseason game against Carolina, they had surrendered a five-goal advantage in a 6-5 defeat. Now, at 1-1-1 through their first three games, they faced the Canadiens—a team that had made a deep playoff run the previous spring—with questions about their defensive structure still unresolved.

Coach Andrew Brunette acknowledged the problem without excusing it. "Some of the momentum swings in the game got us on our heels a little bit," he said after the Toronto loss. The Predators were still learning to play together. They had new players, new systems, new combinations. The systematic work was ongoing, and the losses were part of the cost of that adjustment.

Three of Nashville's roster members had a particular reason to want a strong performance in Montreal. Jonathan Marchessault and Mavrik Bourque, both forwards, and defenseman William Trudeau all hailed from Quebec. Bourque had been acquired in the offseason and had quickly developed chemistry with Marchessault; the two had been paired on the fourth line since training camp. Yet through the first three games, they had struggled to translate that chemistry into production. Brunette saw the potential. "They looked really good through the first preseason game," he said. "Since the season started, they've been maybe a little bit inconsistent on the puck." Both players were likely frustrated, he suggested, knowing they had more to give. Playing in front of friends and family in their home province offered a chance to find their rhythm.

Trudeau carried a different story. He had spent four years in the Canadiens' farm system with the Laval Rocket but had never been called up to play an NHL game for Montreal. Now he was back in the city where he had developed as a professional, wearing a different uniform, competing for ice time on Nashville's blue line. This was his third consecutive game for the Predators, a sign that Brunette saw something worth developing.

The defense remained the central puzzle. Nashville had rotated between an 11-forward, seven-defenseman lineup and a more traditional 12-forward, six-defenseman setup over the last two games as Brunette and his staff tried to find the right combinations. Trudeau would play again, but the broader question remained: who would step up and claim a role? "Everybody's just been ok for the most part," Brunette said. "It's really hard to get great continuity with partners when nobody's really playing at a high level." Adam Wilsby, another young defenseman, had shown flashes of excellence but also stretches of mediocrity. The coaching staff was searching for someone to grab hold of the moment and elevate the entire unit.

One area where Nashville had found footing was special teams. The Predators had scored on three of their last four power plays, using the extra-man advantage to shift momentum and put points on the board. Montreal, by contrast, had allowed three power-play goals while converting only once on nine opportunities. The Canadiens had also been undisciplined, taking 13 penalties through their first three games, with 10 coming in the last two contests. If Nashville could capitalize on the penalty opportunities that Montreal's penalty trouble suggested would come, they could seize control of the game in a way their even-strength play had not yet managed.

The matchup was set for Thursday evening at the Bell Centre. For a team searching for its first road victory of the season, for players returning to their home province, and for a defensive corps still finding its shape, the game represented both a test and an opportunity. Nashville had the special-teams advantage. Now it had to prove it could hold a lead.