"It's going to be a very competitive game," said Head Coach John Hynes, who coached the New Jersey Devils in an exhibition game against SC Bern in 2018. "The atmosphere is really special. It's different than what we see in North America. But it's a great experience."
Monday's game will be the Preds' final preseason matchup before they head to Prague, Czechia, to open the NHL 2022-23 regular season with two games against the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 7-8.
"It's something that we've talked with our guys about, that we have less exhibition games because of this trip," Hynes said. "So we need to be prepared to make sure that we're playing the game the right way. And we own it, like in any preseason game, and any game you can control whether you win or lose. But for us, it's important that we feel our pace, our execution, our attention to detail that those things are already in place. It's going to be a good environment for us to play in because I think the arena will have energy. The other team is going to be really amped up and ready to go. So it's going to be an extremely competitive game."
Nashville carried an expanded roster of 27 players to Europe, but further cuts will need to be made to reduce the roster further to the maximum 23 players following the conclusion of the Global Series.
"We still have some decisions to make," Hynes said. "Like we told the players, it was really stage one picking the 27 guys that are going to come here. And then now we're kind of in stage two, of looking at some serious combinations that we like, and then ultimately, by the end of the week, we have to pick the lineup out of that 27. And that's where we're at now, and the players know that. So we're certainly going to look at some combinations we think might start on Friday."
With a number of players perhaps being out of their element playing overseas, the Preds still believe that the Global Series will be a galvanizing experience, helping to build team chemistry and ultimately giving them a competitive advantage over their opponents.
"One of the big things is some of the natural team building stuff that goes on," Hynes said. "It's a new experience for a lot of guys. Some guys haven't played in a European venue, some guys maybe haven't been to Europe. So you kind of have that camaraderie within the group. We have a big dinner to go to tonight with everyone. So it's not forced, but it certainly does help bring us closer."
Watch & Listen
Monday's game will be broadcast live on Bally Sports South and ESPN 102.5 The Game; complete coverage of the team's trip to Europe can be found on NashvillePredators.com and @PredsNHL on social media.
