Recap: Nashville Predators win NHL season opener against San Jose Sharks in Prague

The Nashville Predators begin their 2022-23 season in Prague, Czech Republic, capping a week-long trip in Europe with two games against the San Jose Sharks, starting Friday.

Last season, the Predators were the second wild card team and were eliminated in the Stanley Cup playoffs in a four-game sweep against the eventual champion Colorado Avalanche. Filip Forsberg signed an eight-year extension in the offseason, and forward Nino Niederreiter and defenseman Ryan McDonagh were the main additions to the core.

The Sharks had a disappointing 77-point season in 2021-22 and replaced Bob Boughner with former Rangers coach David Quinn. It's a team in transition, with longtime defenseman Brent Burns now in Carolina and new GM Mike Grier still with work to do.

Follow along with our live game updates below:

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Nashville Predators score updates vs. San Jose Sharks in NHL season opener

Third period

FINAL: Predators 4, Sharks 1.

Kiefer Sherwood, Nino Niederreiter, Eeli Tolvanen and Matt Duchene with the goals. Juuse Saros with 30 saves. Sherwood had a goal and an assist.

32 seconds left: Matt Duchene, from Granlund, buries the puck into the empty net.

Predators will win 4-1 in Prague.

5:52 left: Juuse Saros has saved 29 of 30 shots. Predators are on their way to win No. 1.

10:32 left: Sharks' Matt Nieto called for high sticking. Preds back on the power play.

James Reimer has made some good saves, but the Preds have converted a majority of their prime chances.

14:35 left: 4-on-4 goes by with nothing doing for either team. Then Jonah Gadjovich called for goaltender interference as the Sharks were pushing in front of Juuse Saros.

16:56 left: Mikael Granlund to the box for cross checking. 4-on-4 for 1 minute, 56 seconds.

17:03 left: Luke Kunin called for interference. Predators to the power play.

Both Preds power plays today come at the expense of penalties from former Predators players.

Second period

End of the second period: Predators 3, Sharks 1.

Yakov Trenin laboring as he left the ice with a few seconds remaining.

2:06 left: Ryan Johansen is stopped by Reimer on a breakaway.

Nino Niederreiter's first goal with the Predators

4:47 left: Nino Niederreiter buries a left-to-right pass from Dante Fabbro past James Reimer as the two rush toward the net. His first goal as a Nashville Predator.

Predators 3, Sharks 1. Give the assists to Kiefer Sherwood and Fabbro.

5:55 left: The nets are third best on the ice right now in Prague. The one that James Reimer is currently manning has been struggling to stabilize all game.

9:00 left: Matt Benning, now a Sharks defenseman, helps his former teammates by throwing the puck over the glass in the Sharks' defensive third. Delay of game penalty, and the Predators to the power play.

9:48 left: The game has settled down, and the Predators still lead 2-1. Halfway through, Yakov Trenin leads Preds forwards in ice time, partially because of the three penalty kills.

15:27 left: Penalty killed off but the Sharks still pushing. Juuse Saros not tested as much during that PK.

17:27 left: Kiefer Sherwood will serve a delay of game penalty. Third Sharks power play of the game.

17:51 left: Mark Borowiecki against Jonah Gadjovich for the season's first fighting bout. Both go down in a heap.

Predators go back in front on an Eeli Tolvanen goal

18:36 left: Eeli Tolvanen drives left to the net and beats James Reimer glove side for his first goal of 2022-23.

Predators 2, Sharks 1. Another fast start to a period. Cole Smith and Cody Glass get assists.

First period

End of the first period: Predators 1, Sharks 1.

Shots on goal: Sharks 12, Predators 11

San Jose 0-for-2 on the power play, Predators yet to get a man advantage.

2:23 left: Tomas Hertl off the post.

7:36 left: The Niederreiter-Johansen-Sherwood line has been good in this first period. Preds kill off another penalty and have some sustained puck possession at the attacking end.

Couple good Juuse Saros saves on a 2-on-1. He's been good so far.

Tomas Hertl scores in his hometown to get Sharks on the board

11:18 left: Tomas Hertl scores in his home country, getting the Sharks on the board. Big yell from the crowd in Prague, followed by a chant for the San Jose forward.

Predators 1, Sharks 1.

Another Predators penalty seconds later, this time Roman Josi for high-sticking.

11:29 left: Predators kill off the penalty. Tanner Jeannot and Colton Sissons were the first forward out on the penalty kill. Cody Glass also featured in the PK.

13:57 left: When the Predators get control of the puck in the attacking end, James Reimer and the Sharks defense really look uncomfortable. No prime chances outside of the Sherwood goal yet.

First power play of the season goes to San Jose. Ryan Johansen called for slashing in the offensive zone.

Predators on the board 61 seconds in via Kiefer Sherwood

18:59 left: Kiefer Sherwood cleans up a deflected shot in front of net for the first goal of the season. What a story Sherwood is.

Predators 1, Sharks 0.

Mattias Ekholm and Ryan McDonagh get the assists on Sherwood's goal. It was McDonagh's shot that was deflected before Sherwood swept the puck into the net.

20:00 left: James Reimer vs. Juuse Saros is the goaltender matchup today. Here we go!

No Philip Tomasino or Jeremy Lauzon in the Preds' lineup.

Pregame

Warmups are underway at the O2 Arena in Prague. Columnist Gentry Estes and photographer Andrew Nelles are in the building, as they have been throughout the Predators' trek through Europe. They will bring photos and stories from the Predators' first two games as they have been throughout the week.

About 30 minutes away from puck drop in Prague. Predators vs. Sharks to open the NHL season.

A Twitter List by _NickGray

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville Predators score vs San Jose Sharks in Prague: Live updates