NHL Predictions: Nashville Predators vs Montreal Canadiens, October 8th

The Nashville Predators visit the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night at the Bell Centre, marking the first matchup of the season between the two clubs. Both teams enter the contest with identical 1-1-1 records looking to rebound from recent defeats. Nashville arrives following an overtime loss to Toronto, while Montreal is coming off a home-opening loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Lori Bennett of Last Word On Hockey projects Montreal as the favorites despite playing without injured forward Ivan Demidov. Juuse Saros is expected to start in goal for Nashville, while rookie netminder Jacob Fowler was recalled after Montreal goaltender Sam Montembeault left Wednesday's practice early due to injury.