Nashville Predators Still Playing With a Purpose
The Nashville Predators return home hoping to find their winning ways against San Jose.
The Nashville Predators have had one of the toughest weeks this season. But it is hard to say that we are on a downward spiral because all of our loses are to reasonable teams. We lost to an extremely desperate Colorado team and a Central Division-leading Dallas teams on back-to-back nights and then to a red-hot Pittsburgh team who is 15-5-0 in their last 20. Everything is fine in Smashville.
Thanks to the former coach Barry Trotz, the Nashville Predators are going back to the Playoffs. The Playoff berth comes at a perfect time for the Nashville Predators with the final four games coming up. In those final four games, Nashville has a chance to rest key players as well as scout our potential first round opponent in the form of the LA Kings or the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
Here are all the things you need to know for tonight’s game against the San Jose Sharks.
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks come into Bridgestone Arena after losing Thursday 4-2 to the Vancouver Canucks and going 5-5-0 in their last 10 outings. San Jose has floated around all season along just like the Nashville Predators but looks to turn the heat it up in the final four to potentially catch the Ducks for the second spot in the Pacific.
The Sharks have been led in scoring by their three-headed monster of John Thornton, Joe Pavelski and, Brent Burns. San Jose will need them to turn up it Saturday night as they are winless in the previous two meetings against Nashville this season.
"“Let’s be honest,” Sharks coach Peter DeBoer told csnbayarea.com. “Everybody knows kind of where we’re at, so that’s the reality of the situation. You can talk about it all you want. Of course, everyone wants to win 10 in a row going into the [Stanley Cup Playoffs]. But, I’m confident our group will have its game in the right place when that starts.”"
San Jose, just like Nashville, needs to turn what ever funk they are in around because playing in the West during the playoffs in not any easy task.
Nashville Predators Filip Forsberg (9). Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Nashville Predators
The Predators come into tonight’s game looking for more rhythm and offensive consistency than they have experienced in their last three outings in a row for the first time since January. Defensive mistakes have allowed easy goals as well as settling for low percentage shots that don’t result in goals. With the playoff birth now finally in hand, Nashville can look to either settle and rest during the final four games or play everyone and try and get as close to Chicago as possible.
Star forwards Filip Forsberg (31) and James Neal (31) look to come ever so closer to Jason Arnott‘s franchise record of goals in a season (33) in these final four games against San Jose, Colorado, Arizona, and Dallas. Forsberg might have his opportunity to tie the record tonight as he seems to fair pretty well against the Sharks scoring three points (1g-2a) in his last outing against San Jose.
Nashville should not overlook San Jose, even though they have gone 7-3-0 in their last meeting against the Pacific Division club. Nashville just needs to bring their typical physical smash-mouth brand of hockey on the ice come Saturday against the Sharks in front of the electric 7th Man in Smashville. Whether it is Hutton or Rinne that is in net, someone needs to step big tonight. Nashville cant afford to lose four games in a row this last in the season.
Prediction
The Nashville Predators need this win for multiple reasons. They need this as a confidence booster after losing the last three in a row. Pekka Rinne, if he is in net, needs this victory after being pulled in two games this week. With injuries to mounting to the defensive corp, Stefan Elliott and Petter Granberg will have to step it up.
This game is a huge measuring stick of who is the scariest lower seed in the West, Nashville, who is just a single point less than San Jose, would be higher than a Wild Card spot if they played in any other division in the league. But, playing in the toughest division has it’s perks as Nashville is battle tested and ready for a deep run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
I personally believe Nashville will get out of this losing funk on this Golden Saturday in Smashville. Its time to start winning against Nashville.
Next: Preds Losses Not a Worry
The Nashville Predators continue their final homestand of the season against the Colorado Ave’s Tuesday night in Nashville. They need to build momentum into the playoffs.