The NHL's Nashville Predators began their fifth consecutive run for the Stanley Cup on Wednesday night (April 10), and as has become a Music City tradition, the team welcomed a country act to perform the National Anthem prior to the big game. Big & Rich were the selected performers for Game 1 of the first playoff round, and they didn't let an introduction flub throw them off their game.

As the Bridgestone Arena PA announce was introducing Big Kenny and John Rich, he called them "gender-bending, multi-platinum superstars" -- presumably meaning "genre-bending" instead of "gender-bending." Fans on Twitter expressed confusion at the slip-up, though neither half of the duo has commented on the moment.

Readers can press play above to watch Big & Rich's performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner." The Predators are facing the Dallas Stars in this first Stanley Cup Playoffs round.

Big stars singing the National Anthem for the Predators during the Stanley Cup Playoffs has become a tradition in Nashville. Since 2017, at every playoff home game, a country star has done the honors. The list of artists who have sung "The Star-Spangled Banner" during that time includes Carrie Underwood (who is married to former Nashville Predators captain Mike Fisher), Rascal Flatts, Lady Antebellum, Brad Paisley and many more.

In 2017, the Predators made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals, before losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games. In 2018, the team was eliminated by the Winnipeg Jets in the second round.

Going into the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Nashville Predators are the NHL's Central Division Champions. Game 2, another Nashville home game, is scheduled for Saturday (April 13). The teams will then travel to Dallas, Texas, for Game 3 (April 15) and Game 4 (April 17). Should the best-of-seven series need more games, the teams will be back in Nashville for Game 5 (April 20) and Game 7 (April 24), with Game 6 tentatively set for April 22 in Dallas.

Country Stars Show Their Nashville Predators Pride

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