Predators Shut Out in St. Louis Despite Strong Effort

Preseason Game Five: St. Louis Blues 1 vs Nashville Predators 0

Predators Shut Out in St. Louis Despite Strong Effort

Nashville, TN - The Nashville Predators may not have earned the result they wanted Saturday night in St. Louis, but they left the rink knowing their game is rounding into form. Despite outshooting the Blues 28–21 and carrying long stretches of play, the Predators fell 1–0 in a hard-fought preseason contest.

⸻

Allen Strong in Defeat

Goaltender Jake Allen looked sharp in his latest preseason appearance, stopping 20 of 21 shots. The veteran netminder kept the game within reach, flashing his glove on a point-blank look from Auston Matthews in the first period and holding firm through a flurry of chances late in the second.

“He gave us a chance to win,” head coach Lane Lambert said postgame. “Jake looked calm, poised, and competitive. When you get that kind of goaltending, you expect to come out with a better result.”

The only puck to elude Allen came at 2:46 of the second period, when Kasperi Kapanen tucked home a cross-ice feed from Morgan Geekie. Allen made the initial push but couldn’t get across in time.

⸻

Offense Comes Up Empty

While the Predators dictated much of the play, firing 12 shots in the opening period and nine more in the third, they couldn’t find a way past Blues goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who turned aside all 28 shots for his fourth preseason win.

“We had our looks, no question,” said forward Lawson Crouse, who recorded three hits and two shots on goal. “Sometimes it’s just a hot goalie, and tonight he was the difference.”

Nashville’s power play also missed two chances to tie the game. The first came late in the second period on a slashing call to Joel Armia, where the Preds generated three quality shots but were turned away. The second, midway through the third, fizzled out without a real threat.

⸻

Bright Spots Despite the Loss

Even without the finish, several Predators stood out:

 • Samuel Helenius was a force in the faceoff circle, winning 10 of 16 draws while dishing out four hits.

 • Jacob Trouba and Marcus Pettersson anchored the blue line, each logging nearly 25 minutes while keeping St. Louis to the perimeter.

 • Robby Fabbri and Reilly Smith both generated consistent offensive pressure, combining for four shots.

Lambert was quick to highlight the progress. “We’re seeing chemistry form,” he said. “The details are coming together. The goals will come if we keep playing this way.”

⸻

Looking Toward the Regular Season

The Predators’ preseason record dropped to 1–4–0, but the coaching staff emphasized results are secondary at this stage. Building rhythm, testing line combinations, and instilling structure remain the priorities.

Allen echoed that sentiment: “We’re not chasing wins in September. We’re chasing habits that are going to win us games in October and beyond.”

Nashville will have more chances to find their scoring touch as the exhibition slate continues next week. For now, the takeaway is clear: the compete level is there—only the finish is missing.