The Nashville Predators achieved a commanding 6-0 victory on Saturday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning, with goals scored by Vinnie Hinostroza, Philip Tomasino, Kieffer Bellows, Tommy Novak, Jonathan Marchessault, and Ozzy Wiesblatt. Goalie Juuse Saros played the entire match, successfully stopping all 23 shots he encountered.
The Predators will return to the ice on Wednesday to face the Carolina Hurricanes, with two more games scheduled against them, including another on Monday, October 7th, against the Lightning before the regular season kicks off. In preparation for the season, the team made roster cuts to reduce their training camp roster to 28 players, sending forwards Kieffer Bellows and Vinnie Hinostroza, along with goalie Matt Murray, to the Milwaukee Admirals in the AHL.
**Kieffer Bellows**
This marks Bellows’ first season with the Predators. In the AHL last season, he played 52 games, tallying 49 points with 27 goals and 22 assists, while finishing with a plus-13 rating. During the playoffs with the Toronto Marlies, he participated in three games but did not record any points and ended up with a minus-one rating. In this preseason with Nashville, he played two games, scoring one goal and maintaining an even plus/minus. He recorded six shots, received two penalty minutes, and contributed with two blocks and three hits.
**Vinnie Hinostroza**
Hinostroza spent the previous season split between the NHL and AHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He played 14 games in the NHL, accumulating three points from one goal and two assists, while posting a minus-three rating. In the AHL, he played 42 games and registered 35 points, including 16 goals and 19 assists, finishing with a plus-one rating. In the playoffs, he appeared in two games and recorded three assists. In this preseason, he has played two games, earning two points during Saturday’s match with one goal and one assist, and concluding with a plus-three rating and five shots on goal.
