NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- It might not have been the exact scenario under which rookie left winger Viktor Arvidsson imagined he would score his first NHL goal.

"Maybe," he said when asked if he envisioned a prettier one. "But they all count, so I'll take them however I can get them."

Arvidsson's deflection at 17:03 of the first period served as the winning goal Thursday night as the Nashville Predators edged the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 in each team's season opener at Bridgestone Arena.

The 22-year-old Arvidsson was simply in the right place at the right time. Defenseman Seth Jones' wrister from the point struck center Calle Jarnkrok and then hit Arvidsson in the leg, beating goalie Cam Ward.

After the goal horn went off, Arvidsson celebrated the milestone goal with a Tiger Woods-style fist pump.

"When your goal your whole life is to get to the National Hockey League, it's a special moment," Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said of Arvidsson's goal.

It capped a dominant first period that saw the Predators put 14 shots on net to Carolina's five and attempt 24 shots to the Hurricanes' 10. Nashville's forecheck kept the puck quarantined in its offensive end for long stretches.

But the lightly regarded Hurricanes carried the play to one of the Central Division favorites during the last two periods. Outshooting Nashville 12-3 in the third, Carolina pulled within a goal when center Victor Rask deflected a shot from center Eric Staal past goalie Pekka Rinne at 18:40 after Ward was removed for a sixth skater.

However, the Predators didn't allow another shot after that, locking down their third straight home opener.

"We were on our heels early for whatever reason," Hurricanes coach Bill Peters said. "Maybe the excitement from their home opener, I don't know. Once we settled down and played, we were fine."

Nashville became known for fast starts last season as it went 28-9-4 at home. It replicated that formula in this season's opener, drawing a high-sticking penalty from center Jordan Staal in the first minute and then striking on the power play.

Center Craig Smith did the honors, scoring the Predators' first goal for the second straight season on a tip-in of defenseman Ryan Ellis' shot at 2:23.

But after Arvidsson's goal, Nashville spent most of the remaining time reacting instead of attacking. It owned a 21-7 advantage in shots on net midway through the second period but got just four more shots at Ward.

"You ask most teams, they'll say it's hard to protect a lead," Predators defenseman Shea Weber said. "But to be successful, we have to do the things we did in the first period."

Rinne finished with 25 saves and Ward came up with 23, including a spectacular glove save on left winger James Neal during a Nashville power play late in the second period.

Although his team failed to generate much offense in the last period and a half, Laviolette thought the game was more even than its flow suggested.

"They probably did to us in the second period what we did to them in the first," Laviolette said. "Third period, I thought our guys did what we had to do to come out with two points."

NOTES: Carolina's scratches were C Brad Malone and D Michal Jordan. ... Nashville scratched D Anthony Bitetto and D Victor Bartley, along with LW Austin Watson. ... Hurricanes D Noah Hanifin made his NHL debut Thursday night at 18 years and eight months old. He is the only defenseman from the 2015 draft class to make an opening-night roster. ... Carolina defenseman James Wisniewski departed the game in the first period with a lower-body injury and didn't return. Peters had no update on his status after the game.