Tampa St. Petersburg, FL, September 22, 2026 —

The Tampa Bay Lightning experienced a preseason defeat, losing 3-2 in overtime to the Nashville Predators in a game played in Nashville. The Lightning held a two-goal advantage late in the third period but were unable to maintain their lead, ultimately conceding the winning goal in the extra period.

The team’s performance highlighted several areas of focus as the regular season approaches. Notably, a forward line that stepped in to fill a role due to an existing player’s injury demonstrated a strong showing. This line’s effectiveness provided a positive takeaway from the matchup.

In addition to the forward group’s contribution, the game marked a promising debut for new backup goaltender Dennis Hildeby. His performance in net was described as promising, offering a potential solution for the team’s goaltending depth.

However, the Lightning’s defensive unit continues to be an area of scrutiny. Uncertainty persists regarding the final composition of the team’s defenseman roster, indicating that decisions in this area are still pending.

The loss to the Predators serves as a point of analysis for the coaching staff, particularly concerning the ability to close out games when holding a late lead. The team will likely review the sequence of events that led to Nashville scoring twice late in regulation and then securing the overtime victory. Further details regarding specific player performances beyond the mentioned observations were not provided in the summary. The exact timeline for resolving defensive roster questions was also not specified.


Story summarized from the original created by By Eduardo A. Encina, Times staff on www.tampabay.com, see more information here.

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