#4 Expectations
When the Predators started their playoff run last season against the Blackhawks there weren’t too many who expected Nashville to make it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. Heck, most people were not even expecting them to come out victorious against Chicago. But they did, and for the most part did it in convincing fashion. It is pretty safe to say that expectations entering the playoffs were not very high. Now, it will be a completely different story come October 5th when Nashville travels to Boston for their first game of the season.
Expectations for Nashville are at an all-time high. Unfortunately, this is not necessarily a good thing. If at any point the Predators struggle to win on a consistent basis it will likely be blown way out of proportion, due to the expectations. Nashville made it to the Stanley Cup Finals last season and now there are many who expect that to happen again this year. This is just not practical, though. Expectations are a great thing to have, but they should also be reasonable.