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Nashville Predators: Top Five Reasons for Success in 2017-18

By Treigh Patterson

NASHVILLE, TN - JUNE 03: Pregame lighting ceremonies prior to game 3 of the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Finals between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators on June 3, 2017, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN. (Photo by John Crouch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - JUNE 03: Pregame lighting ceremonies prior to game 3 of the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Finals between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators on June 3, 2017, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN. (Photo by John Crouch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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#4 Home Ice Advantage

NASHVILLE, TN – JUNE 11: Fans of the Nashville Predators are shown during Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Nashville Predators and the Pittsburgh Penguins, held on June 11, 2017, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Pittsburgh won the game 2-0. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN – JUNE 11: Fans of the Nashville Predators are shown during Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Nashville Predators and the Pittsburgh Penguins, held on June 11, 2017, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Pittsburgh won the game 2-0. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

After last season’s Stanley Cup run, I do not think there is anyone who can question how much this city loves their hockey team. Fans from all across Tennessee flocked to Nashville during the playoffs. In front of a national audience, multiple times, the fans let everyone know just how intimidating it is to come and play in Smashville. It was not just during the playoffs, though.

All season long the fans of the Nashville Predators made Bridgestone Arena one of the toughest venues to play in. Fan support was at an all-time high, well before the playoffs started. The numbers back this up too. Every single game during the 2016-17 season was a sellout, and the fan support translated over to the players’ success, as well.

The Nashville Predators finished their season with 94 points. Nashville won 56 of those while playing on home ice. The home record speaks for itself.  The Predators were one of three teams that had single digit regulation loses at home. And there were only five other teams that had more points at home than Nashville. It was pretty obvious that if Nashville was playing at home, there was a high chance they would win.

This success translated to the playoffs, too. The Predators’ home ice advantage was second to none. They did not even lose a game in Nashville until the Western Conference Finals, where they lost in overtime to Anaheim in game four. Nashville would lose once more at home to Pittsburgh, but that was it. They had 11 home games during the playoffs and won 9 of them. There is no reason that this won’t carry over to next season, and the fans of the Predators will make sure it does.

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