The kids are going to be alright in Smashville.
The Nashville Predators came out looking stronger after the Trade Deadline, even with a 3-2 final against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday at KeyBank Center. Nashville saw promise in its youngsters with both goals on the night coming from young guns Zachary L'Heureux and Matthew Wood.
"I think we had a good first period. I thought we were playing well, stay sticking with it," said Preds winger Jonathan Marchessault. "I think we kind of lost the game a little bit by the end of the second period. I think we let them come back."Nashville Predators YT
In the second period, Marchessault set up a goal for L'Heureux in front of Buffalo goalie Alex Lyon, giving Marchessault his 300th career assist and L'Heureux his first of the season. He's the fifth player on the Predators to reach the 300-assist plateau.
Tage Thompson tied the game with his 34th, extending his point streak to ten games. Jason Zucker made it 2-1 Buffalo 1:38 later with his 17th. The Sabres continued the pressure heading into the third, with a Josh Doan goal 17 seconds into it.
The Predators would get a power play with 4:05 left in the final frame and Wood capitalized on it with his 13th of the season. The 21-year-old has five goals and two assists in his last nine games, finding his footing again after a month-long pointless streak.
"He has a flare for the net. He's a good scorer, big boy too," Marchessault said. "When he has the puck it's hard to take it away from him and he has good moves. Definitely love him also up the middle. I think it plays into his strength and sees the ice well. Definitely a bright future in front of him."Nashville Predators YT
Wood tried to tie it up with a shot in the final two seconds, but it ultimately wasn't enough as the Preds fell to the Sabres. Nashville opens their five-game road trip going 0-1. They fly over to Seattle to take on the Kraken on Tuesday. The Preds then head to Canada to rival the Canucks, Oilers, and Jets before returning home Mar. 19 to face Seattle once again.
The week-long road trip will be a proving ground for the youngsters as they face the best and the worst in the league.
"Some of them have been around a little bit on certain call-ups and some of them it's their first one," Marchessault said. "It's all about making sure they're comfortable with us and we're going to need everybody if we want to make a playoff push here. It's the biggest trip of the year for us for sure."Nashville Predators YT