Predators Visit Hurricanes in Greensboro for Preseason Test

The Nashville Predators head to Greensboro, North Carolina, on Thursday night to face the Carolina Hurricanes, the first half of a preseason home-and-home and the second-last exhibition game on Nashville's schedule. Puck drop at First Horizon Coliseum is set for 6 p.m. CT.

It's the Predators' third game in five days. They dropped a 2-1 decision in Tampa on Sunday, then rallied from 2-0 down inside the final seven minutes on Tuesday at Bridgestone Arena, with Matthew Wood scoring twice late in the third and prospect Felix Nilsson winning it in overtime, 3-2.

"We're in an evaluation process," head coach Andrew Brunette said after Wednesday's practice. "We'll see some guys that are fighting for jobs. They should be excited playing against the Stanley Cup champions. We know how they play. It's going to be a real test of a lot of different things for our group. It's a big night for a lot of guys."

One of those guys could be forward Vitali Pinchuk, who was hurt on the first day of camp practice and has been day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Brunette said getting him into a game matters.

"You never wish an injury for anybody. It's unfortunate, such a quick camp for us to get our eyes on him, but he'll have a good opportunity," Brunette said. "I hope he's ready for it because it's usually always a hurricane against Carolina, where it's going to be all over the place."

Nashville trimmed camp again Wednesday, assigning forwards Chase Bradley, David Edstrom, Joakim Kemell, Jake Lucchini and Ben Strinden, defenceman Daniel Nieminen and goaltender Isak Posch to Milwaukee of the AHL. That followed 14 assignments made before Tuesday's game.

The game airs locally on The Spot, Nashville 28, and on ESPN 102.5 The Game and the Preds Radio Network.