Early look · NHL 2026-27

Vegas Golden Knights at Nashville Predators: game preview

VegasGolden Knights2026-27: 3-1-0 · 6 pts · 2025-26: 39-26-17 · 95 pts · 13that

NashvillePredators2026-27: 1-1-1 · 3 pts · 2025-26: 38-34-10 · 86 pts · 23rd

Puck drop13 Oct · 8:45 PM ET

VenueBridgestone Arena

All-time meetings24 completed

BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26

The thesis

Nine points apart last season

Vegas finished last season 13th in the league on 95 points. Nashville finished 23rd on 86.

Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.

Head-to-head

Meeting number 25

Across 24 completed games, Vegas lead the head-to-head 13-9-2.

All-time record13-9-2Vegas's record in the series

Meetings played24This is number 25

2025-26 series—

Last 53-2Vegas

Last 5 meetings

See all: Last 5 meetings →

DateResultShotsPower playWinner

21 Mar 2026VGK 1 – NSH 440–20VGK 1/4 · NSH 2/3NSH

17 Jan 2026NSH 2 – VGK 729–36NSH 1/3 · VGK 0/1VGK

31 Dec 2025NSH 4 – VGK 219–31NSH 2/3 · VGK 1/3NSH

12 Apr 2025NSH 3 – VGK 517–29NSH 0/1 · VGK 1/3VGK

29 Mar 2025VGK 3 – NSH 129–24VGK 1/1 · NSH 1/1VGK

Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DateVegasNashville

31 Dec 202517-10-11 · 45 pts13th18-17-4 · 40 pts24th

17 Jan 202624-11-12 · 60 pts8th23-21-4 · 50 pts26th

21 Mar 202631-25-14 · 76 pts19th32-28-9 · 73 pts20th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 31 Dec 2025, Vegas were 13th in the league and Nashville 24th. By 21 Mar 2026 it was 19th and 20th.

Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Vegas out-attempted Nashville 324 to 242

Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.

Vegas Golden Knights

324 att · 165 on goal · 18 G · 10.9%

Crease28 att · 5 G

Slot130 att · 6 G

Wing120 att · 4 G

Point42 att · 3 G

Neutral zone4 att · 0 G

Nashville Predators

242 att · 109 on goal · 14 G · 12.8%

Crease19 att · 2 G

Slot93 att · 6 G

Wing91 att · 5 G

Point31 att · 1 G

Neutral zone8 att · 0 G

GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Vegas have created the better chances, last 10 games

Shot quality both ways: expected goals weigh every unblocked attempt by its chance of scoring. Finishing above zero means more goals than the chances.

VegasNashville

3.79xG for per game2.50

2.09xG against per game3.14

64.4%xG share44.3%

+1.8FinishingGoals minus expected goals−0.5

−1.6GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed+0.4

This season: 4 games for Vegas, 3 for Nashville. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.

Every team’s xG →

Special teams

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

This season's rates first, then 2025-26 and the last meetings between the two. Power-play chances are counted from the penalty log with coincidental minors cancelled; faceoffs are each club's wins over draws taken.

All bars share one scale · 0–100%SeasonLast meetings

Vegas

Small sample

Power play · 2026-2731.3%

Power play · 2025-2624.6% · 6th

Power play · last 5 meetings4/12 · 33.3%

Penalty kill · 2026-2783.3%

Penalty kill · 2025-2681.4% · 7th

Faceoffs · 2026-2753.0% · 122/230

Drawn · 2026-2716 (4.00/gm)

Drawn · last meetings12 (2.40/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-2712 (3.00/gm)

PP goals · last meetings4

Nashville

Small sample

Power play · 2026-2737.5%

Power play · 2025-2623.1% · 11th

Power play · last 5 meetings6/11 · 54.5%

Penalty kill · 2026-2775.0%

Penalty kill · 2025-2681.7% · 5th

Faceoffs · 2026-2747.6% · 80/168

Drawn · 2026-278 (2.67/gm)

Drawn · last meetings11 (2.20/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-278 (2.67/gm)

PP goals · last meetings6

Skaters

Shea Theodore has 6 points in the last 5 meetings

Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away, then who has produced in the last meetings.

In the last meetings

See all: In the last meetings →

PlayerGPGAPSOG

27Shea Theodore42468

77Luke Evangelista514512

91Steven Stamkos53146

90Ryan O'Reilly52249

21Brett Howden42244

9Filip Forsberg513410

Reilly Smith41347

61Mark Stone52139

Alexander Holtz32133

16Pavel Dorofeyev512316

Head-to-head finder

Shea Theodore vs Nashville · game by game

See all: Shea Theodore vs Nashville · game by game →

DateVenueGAPSOGTOI

21 Mar 2026away101319:45

17 Jan 2026home112319:10

12 Apr 2025home011122:42

29 Mar 2025away022117:59

Last 5 meetings6 P2 G, 4 A · 8 SOG

Next best5 PLuke Evangelista, NSH

2026-27 season3 P4 GP · 1 G

Blank vs NSH0 of 4A point in every meeting

Full game log

Goaltending

Adin Hill has started most of these meetings

Adin Hill played 2 of the last 5 meetings with Nashville, with a .902 save percentage. Starters are confirmed on game day.

Expected startersAn estimate until the teams confirmEvery game tonight →

Vegas

Expected starter after their game on 12 Oct: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Nashville

Expected starter after their game on 10 Oct: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Adin Hill

See all: Adin Hill →

VGK · 1-0-0 in 2026-27 Starter estimate from 10 Oct

SV% · 2026-27.9001 GP · 2.00 GAA · 2025-26 .871

vs Nashville.9022 app · 41 SA · 4 GA

GSAx · 2026-27−0.51 start

vs NSHVenueSAGASV%

12 Apr 2025home173.824

29 Mar 2025away241.958

Also on the roster, 2026-27: Carter Hart .890 (3 GP)

Full game log

Justus Annunen

See all: Justus Annunen →

NSH · 10-12-2 in 2025-26 Starter estimate from 10 Oct

SV% · 2025-26.90728 GP · 2.68 GAA

vs Vegas.9025 app · 163 SA · 16 GA

GSAx · 2025-26+11.223 starts

vs VGKVenueSAGASV%

21 Mar 2026home401.975

17 Jan 2026away367.806

31 Dec 2025away312.935

12 Apr 2025away284.857

29 Mar 2025home282.929

Also on the roster, 2026-27: Juuse Saros .907 (3 GP)

Full game log

Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.3 goals

No total is posted yet: it arrives with the game-day prices. Until then, the scoring rates and the recent meetings set the range.

Goals in the last 5 meetings

21 Mar 20265 · VGK 1–4 NSH

17 Jan 20269 · NSH 2–7 VGK

31 Dec 20256 · NSH 4–2 VGK

12 Apr 20258 · NSH 3–5 VGK

29 Mar 20254 · VGK 3–1 NSH

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA

Vegas4.252.503.233.05

Nashville2.333.003.013.28

Goals for and against per game. The estimate averages each team’s scoring with the other’s goals allowed, and leans on 2025-26 until a team has played 20 games.

Scoring rates suggest6.3Goals in this game

Last 5 meetings6.4Goals per game

Line—No total posted yet

Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

4 on the injury lists

Vegas · injuries

Lukas CormierUndisclosedIRReturn22 Oct

Raphael LavoieUndisclosedOutReturn8 Oct

Victor OlofssonUndisclosedDay-to-dayReturn8 Oct

Nashville · injuries

Justus AnnunenUndisclosedIRReturn13 Oct

Latest moves

See all: Latest moves →

30 Sep · VGK

Signed C William Karlsson to a two-year contract.

29 Sep · VGK

Placed C Jakub Cormier, RW Matyas Hemmerling and C Jakub Uchacz on the injured non-roster list.

23 Sep · VGK

Placed D Jaycob Megna, D Adam Ginning, D Joe Fleming, C Jakub Demek and D Jeremy Davies on waivers.

6 Oct · NSH

Recalled G Matt Murray from Milwaukee (AHL). Placed G Justus Annunen on injured reserve.

4 Oct · NSH

Recalled LW Yegor Pinchuk from Milwaukee (AHL). Assigned G Matt Murray to Milwaukee.

3 Oct · NSH

Recalled G Matthew Murray from Milwaukee (AHL).

Injury report

Vegas · 2026 draft

See all: Vegas · 2026 draft →

#29Juho PiiparinenRound 1 · TapparaD

#63ForfeitedRound 2 ·

#92Benjamin WilmottRound 3 · BarrieC

#95Sean BurickRound 3 · PentictonD

Full draft

Nashville · 2026 draft

See all: Nashville · 2026 draft →

#10Wyatt CullenRound 1 · Usa U-18LW

#31Thomas BleylRound 1 · MonctonD

#70Dmitri BorichevRound 3 · Loko-76 YaroslavlG

#106Jakub FlorisRound 4 · Lukko Jr.D

Full draft

Tuesday 13 October · the full slate

See all: Tuesday 13 October · the full slate →

NSHThis game 9:00 PM ET

Updated after every final

Vegas Golden Knights at Nashville Predators: game preview

Nine points apart last season

Meeting number 25

Last 5 meetings

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

Vegas out-attempted Nashville 324 to 242

Vegas Golden Knights

Nashville Predators

Vegas have created the better chances, last 10 games

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

Vegas

Nashville

Shea Theodore has 6 points in the last 5 meetings

Forwards to watch

Defencemen to watch

In the last meetings

Shea Theodore vs Nashville · game by game

Adin Hill has started most of these meetings

Adin Hill

Justus Annunen

Scoring rates point to about 6.3 goals

Goals in the last 5 meetings

Scoring rates

4 on the injury lists

Vegas · injuries

Nashville · injuries

Latest moves

Vegas · 2026 draft

Nashville · 2026 draft

Tuesday 13 October · the full slate