|
 "Maybe," he said when asked if he envisioned a prettier one. "But
they all count, so I'll take them however I can get them."
Arvidsson's deflection at 17:03 of the first period served as the
winning goal Thursday night as the Nashville Predators edged the
Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 in each team's season opener at Bridgestone
Arena.
The 22-year-old Arvidsson was simply in the right place at the right
time. Defenseman Seth Jones' wrister from the point struck center
Calle Jarnkrok and then hit Arvidsson in the leg, beating goalie Cam
Ward.
After the goal horn went off, Arvidsson celebrated the milestone
goal with a Tiger Woods-style fist pump.
"When your goal your whole life is to get to the National Hockey
League, it's a special moment," Nashville coach Peter Laviolette
said of Arvidsson's goal.
It capped a dominant first period that saw the Predators put 14
shots on net to Carolina's five and attempt 24 shots to the
Hurricanes' 10. Nashville's forecheck kept the puck quarantined in
its offensive end for long stretches.
But the lightly regarded Hurricanes carried the play to one of the
Central Division favorites during the last two periods. Outshooting
Nashville 12-3 in the third, Carolina pulled within a goal when
center Victor Rask deflected a shot from center Eric Staal past
goalie Pekka Rinne at 18:40 after Ward was removed for a sixth
skater.
However, the Predators didn't allow another shot after that, locking
down their third straight home opener.
"We were on our heels early for whatever reason," Hurricanes coach
Bill Peters said. "Maybe the excitement from their home opener, I
don't know. Once we settled down and played, we were fine."
Nashville became known for fast starts last season as it went 28-9-4
at home. It replicated that formula in this season's opener, drawing
a high-sticking penalty from center Jordan Staal in the first minute
and then striking on the power play.
Center Craig Smith did the honors, scoring the Predators' first goal
for the second straight season on a tip-in of defenseman Ryan Ellis'
shot at 2:23.
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But after Arvidsson's goal, Nashville spent most of the remaining
time reacting instead of attacking. It owned a 21-7 advantage in
shots on net midway through the second period but got just four more
shots at Ward.
"You ask most teams, they'll say it's hard to protect a lead,"
Predators defenseman Shea Weber said. "But to be successful, we have
to do the things we did in the first period."
Rinne finished with 25 saves and Ward came up with 23, including a
spectacular glove save on left winger James Neal during a Nashville
power play late in the second period.
Although his team failed to generate much offense in the last period
and a half, Laviolette thought the game was more even than its flow
suggested.
"They probably did to us in the second period what we did to them in
the first," Laviolette said. "Third period, I thought our guys did
what we had to do to come out with two points."
NOTES: Carolina's scratches were C Brad Malone and D Michal Jordan.
... Nashville scratched D Anthony Bitetto and D Victor Bartley,
along with LW Austin Watson. ... Hurricanes D Noah Hanifin made his
NHL debut Thursday night at 18 years and eight months old. He is the
only defenseman from the 2015 draft class to make an opening-night
roster. ... Carolina defenseman James Wisniewski departed the game
in the first period with a lower-body injury and didn't return.
Peters had no update on his status after the game.
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