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Salt Lake City, Utah (AP) — The Nashville Predators faced a tough challenge against the Utah Mammoth, ultimately falling 5-2 in a hard-fought game that showcased the Predators' resilience and the Mammoth's offensive prowess.

The first period saw the Predators take an early lead with a power play goal by Jacob Trouba, assisted by Nino Niederreiter and Reilly Smith. Trouba's goal at 10:42 put Nashville ahead, but the Mammoth's penalty kill was effective, keeping the Predators' advantage minimal.

The second period was dominated by the Mammoth, as they scored twice to take a 2-1 lead. Mitchell Chaffee opened the scoring at 3:30, assisted by Evan Bouchard and Matty Beniers, followed by K'Andre Miller's goal at 15:50, assisted by Valeri Nichushkin and Ivan Provorov.

The third period was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams trading goals. The Mammoth extended their lead with goals from Anthony Cirelli at 2:09 and Cole Caufield at 5:50. Nashville fought back, with Will Borgen scoring at 15:10, assisted by Eduard Sale and Samuel Helenius. However, William Karlsson's goal at 16:45 sealed the win for the Mammoth.

Predators' goaltender Jake Allen had a challenging night, making 25 saves on 30 shots, but ultimately conceded the game. "We played a solid game, but the Mammoth just had that extra edge tonight," said Allen. "We need to work on our defensive positioning and finish our chances better."

The Predators showed flashes of their potential, with Trouba and Borgen leading the offensive charge. "We're not where we want to be, but we're improving," said Predators coach Lane Lambert. "We need to build on this performance and come out stronger in our next game."

The loss leaves the Predators with much to work on as they continue their quest to find their first win of the preseason, next up the Predators head home against the Stars0