Filip Forsberg friend, George Kittle slams beer, keeps shirt on at Predators playoff game

San Francisco 49ers tight end and Filip Forsberg bestie George Kittle didn't exactly pull a Taylor Lewan on Friday during the Nashville Predators' first-round NHL playoff game against the Vancouver Canucks.

But the idea was the same: Chugging a beer, as Lewan has done at Predators games.

As public address announcer Paul McCann introduced Kittle to the Bridgestone Arena crowd, a camera panned to Kittle, who wore a "Smashville" sweater like the ones the team wore in its outdoor game at Nissan Stadium in 2022. With a little more than three minutes remaining in the second period, Kittle raised his hand, which held a clear plastic cup, and began downing the drink.

The difference between Lewan and Kittle?

Kittle kept his shirt on.

Before the game, two-time Grammy Award winner Colbie Caillat sang the U.S. national anthem.

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Just before puck drop, at least four catfish landed on the ice, continuing the Predators' playoff tradition.

The teams will face off again Sunday at Bridgestone in Game 4 of their Western Conference matchup before returning to Vancouver to play Game 5.

Paul Skrbina is a sports enterprise reporter covering the Predators, Titans, Nashville SC, local colleges and local sports for The Tennessean. Reach him at [email protected] and on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) @paulskrbina. Follow his work here.

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Filip Forsberg's bestie George Kittle slams beer at Preds playoff game