Stars vs Predators preview: Key questions before Saturday
Dallas opens its road schedule Saturday at Nashville, which is 0-1-0 and lost its opener to Minnesota. Puck drop at Bridgestone Arena is set for 8 p.m. ET on Saturday.
The Stars are 0-0-0 to begin the regular season, while the Predators have been outscored badly in their first game. The biggest question in this Stars vs Predators matchup: can Nashville’s power play was 0-for in five opportunities against Minnesota, and the Predators’ special-teams struggles will be tested by Dallas. Roman Josi scored Nashville’s lone power-play goal in the opener and leads the team with one goal and one point. Dallas will try to use its 51.6% faceoff win rate to control puck possession, an area where Nashville has struggled early.s defense tighten up enough to slow down a Dallas team that has rolled through every opponent so far?
Stars vs Predators game information
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 3
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Venue: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee
- TV/Streaming: ESPN+, Scripps Sports, Prime Video (Local)
- Series: First meeting of the 2026-27 season
Can Nashville solve its defensive problems?
Goaltender Juuse Saros made 27 saves but received little help from his offense or defense in Thursday’s 3-1 loss to Minnesota, according to CBS Sports. The Predators were outshot 30-20 and sit 0-1-0 in the Central Division standings.
Saros is listed as the probable starting goalie for Nashville. He made 27 saves against Minnesota and is expected to see a heavy workload early in the season since the Predators do not play back-to-back games until Oct. 24-25.
How is Dallas rolling through its opening slate?
Dallas makes its regular-season debut with Casey DeSmith projected to start in net. Through preseason games, the Stars have shown defensive stability, posting a .902 save percentage.
Dallas has five players on injured reserve heading into the opener. Center Matt Duchene (lower body) is out until Oct. 25, while centers Harrison Scott and Cameron Hughes and defensemen Luke Krys and Tristan Bertucci are also sidelined with injuries ranging from Oct. 5 to Oct. 10 return dates.
What is the key matchup to watch?
Nashville’s power play, already at 0-for on the season despite seven man-advantage opportunities, will need to be sharper against a Dallas penalty-killing unit that has allowed only four shorthanded goals against all year. Roman Josi, who leads the Predators with one goal and one point this season, scored Nashville’s lone power-play goal of the year in the opener. His ability to generate offense from the point will matter against a Dallas defense that has held opponents to a modest 13.2% shooting rate against.
On the other side, Dallas enters with a faceoff win rate of 51.6%, a small edge that could matter in a game where puck possession has been a problem for Nashville, which has lost the special-teams battle in multiple contests already.
What to watch
Nashville needs its first win after losing to Minnesota in the opener, while Dallas takes its regular-season debut on the road. The Predators’ power play and penalty-kill units have both struggled early. In a tightly packed Central Division, Utah, Colorado and Minnesota each have two points; Dallas, St.
Louis and Winnipeg start 0-0-0; and Nashville and Chicago sit at zero with losses. How the Predators respond at home will define their early season trajectory, and a second straight loss could send the wrong message to the rest of the division. See the Stars’ first game against St.
Louis and more NHL coverage from 2026.
Reporting from Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, NHL.com and Sports Illustrated contributed to this story. Official statistics: ESPN (official league data).
