Hockey officially returned on Monday as the future of the Tampa Bay Lightning opened the 2026 Prospect Showcase with a 3-1 loss against the Nashville Predators at Invisalign Arena in Morrisville, North Carolina.<\/p>\n
Connor Kurth got Tampa Bay going, burying his rebound chance moments after a Lightning power play expired for a 1-0 lead. With just over seven minutes left in the first period, Kurth deflected a Dyllan Gill shot from the point and then tucked the rebound into the net.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were at the end of the power play, and I thought Giller was just going to put one on net because they had a guy coming from the penalty box behind him. I just tried to get in front of that, tipped it and we got a greasy one, just trickled in.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Predators then scored three straight goals to take the win in what ended as a physical matchup with multiple fights.<\/p>\n
Tampa Bay ends the event with a 2 p.m. game against Carolina Hurricanes prospects on Tuesday.\u00a0Before then, here are three takeaways from game one at Invisalign Arena in Morrisville, North Carolina:<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Meneghin showed comfort in busy start<\/p>\n
The first few shifts of Monday\u2019s game favored Nashville, but goaltender Harrison Meneghin stopped every puck he faced to keep the Predators off the scoreboard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He put an exclamation point on the effort in the final minute of the first period, sprawling to deny Nashville\u2019s Joey Willis on an open power-play drive to the net.<\/p>\n
Meneghin then stopped a 1-on-1 look to start the second period following a defensive zone turnover by Tampa Bay. He played the first half of Monday\u2019s game and didn\u2019t allow a goal.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a good first half for me,\u201d Meneghin said. \u201cIt was nice to get the game feel back. It\u2019s been a minute, so I think there\u2019s some things I\u2019d like to clean up, but for the most part it went pretty well.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 22-year-old goalie made 14 starts in the ECHL for the Orlando Solar Bears, posting a 4-9-0 record and .889 save percentage. He also made his first career AHL start.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was rock solid,\u201d forward Sam O\u2019Reilly said of Meneghin\u2019s game Monday. \u201cHe was great for us all night, made some big saves and kept us in the game there.\u201d<\/p>\n
2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0O\u2019Reilly stood out through versatility<\/p>\n
After not getting to see O\u2019Reilly play in development camp scrimmages due to a wrist injury, fans got to watch plenty of the forward prospect on Monday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His versatility was visible in the effort, in which he played alongside Benjamin Rautiainen and Ethan Gauthier.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was good. It was fun,\u201d he said of playing with that duo. \u201cWe\u2019ll keep building chemistry as we go, and we got the first game out of the way, got the jitters out. Just keep getting better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Skating at 4-on-4 late in the second period, the Predators had an open lane to the net. O\u2019Reilly chased down the Nashville player on the backcheck and disrupted the play, preventing a shot on goal as the clock neared zero.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Reilly also played as the team\u2019s starting center on Monday, featured on the top power play unit and killed penalties. He won multiple faceoffs, and his teammates treated him to stick taps after a blocked shot in the second period helped erase a four-minute Nashville power play.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s just a 200-foot guy,\u201d Kurth said of O\u2019Reilly. \u201cI don\u2019t know who I\u2019d compare him to because he\u2019s really special. You saw it on the PK when he just soaked (blocked) one. He\u2019s just an all-around, 200-foot player, but he\u2019s got some special offensive ability as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
O\u2019Reilly, 20, scored 71 points in 56 OHL games last season, helping the Kitchener Rangers win the Memorial Cup. The 2026-27 campaign marks\u00a0his first in professional hockey<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously with a short training camp, you\u2019ve got to be good out here,\u201d O\u2019Reilly said, \u201cso I\u2019ll give it my all, and I\u2019m just trying to help the team win.\u201d<\/p>\n 3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Ferocious from the start<\/p>\n