There may be an explanation why goalie Juuse Saros dominated the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 13, making 31 saves in a 4-1 win for the Nashville Predators.
He was out for revenge, irritated at what the Senators did to his goal crease prior to the game.
Ottawa introduced its lineup in the typical home-opening tradition, with players skating on to the ice as they were announced. It’s not an unusual ceremony, but at Canadian Tire Centre, Senators players skate from the Zamboni entrance directly through the visiting team’s goal crease.
Saros was watching the whole thing happen and was visibly unhappy, a scene that the Sportsnet broadcast caught on video.
“So the guys are skating right through (Saros’) crease,” as the announcer described the scene. “He’s the only guy standing there and it looked like he was going to charge the mound.”
Normally, visiting players are not on the ice watching home team introductions. It’s for the home fans, and the visiting team is still getting ready in the locker room.
With it being the home opener, as is tradition, the entire team is introduced. For some reason Nashville goalie Juuse Saros came out to watch. pic.twitter.com/rUBbEyZnMl
— Dean Brown (@PxPOttawa) October 13, 2025
But Saros was out there, frustrated that his goal crease was being torn up ahead of the puck drop. Goaltenders are particular about their crease — a worn-down area or divot in the blue ice can disrupt a goaltender’s movement and throw off their game. Additionally, it’s seen as a sign of disrespect, like intentionally stepping on a team’s logo or walking in the path of a golfer’s shot.
Saros, who has played in more than 400 hockey games, knows what he wants the blue ice to feel like. It’s not surprising he’d be upset that 23 Ottawa Senators skated right through it before the game.
Fortunately for Nashville, Saros channeled his rage into a spectacular performance, earning his second win of the season. Through three starts, he has a .946 save percentage and a 1.66 goals allowed average.
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.