Nashville Predators: What Fans Should Be Thankful For This Thanksgiving

It’s Thanksgiving and the Nashville Predators are surging through a difficult part of their schedule to give us many reasons to be thankful.

With the Predators doing so many special things since this time last year, it’s time to reflect on what we’re thankful for as fans. After all, the Predators have treated us to some pretty special moments dating back to last season.

The Nashville Predators find themselves in a very nice spot in the standing thanks to winning eight of their last nine games, putting them in 2nd place overall in the Western Conference with 28 points. A short Thanksgiving break for the Predators and they’ll be right back at it with their first meeting of the season with the first-place St.Louis Blues.

We have a lot to be thankful for with the Nashville Predators. They’ve got the current tag of the best sports franchise from ESPN, a passionate base of fans and a stacked roster that can hang with even the most elite teams in the NHL.  And who can forget the coolest mascot in all of sports, Gnash?

Let’s dive deeper into what we’re thankful for from the Nashville Predators, starting with the red-hot offense.

Power Play is lethal

The Predators are becoming unstoppable on the power play. This is especially true at home, where they have 17 power play goals in just ten home games. We have to be thankful for why the Predators are 8-1-1 at Bridgestone Arena, and it’s because of their home power play that’s over 40 percent. That’s good for tops in the NHL, and the next closest team is way back at 31 percent.

They may end up coming back down to Earth a bit with their home power play, but they’ll keep piling up the wins at home with this kind of success on the power play. Their speed and ability to set up their offense draws penalties from the opposition. Filip Forsberg added two power play goals of his own in the Predators’ most recent win over Montreal. Those two goals break somewhat of a November goal slump for Forsberg, and brings him to 11 goals on the season.

Let’s be thankful for the Predators’ third-ranked power play, because they’re not where they are in the standings if not for it.

The JoFA line

It would be blasphemy to call yourself and Predators fan and not be thankful of the JoFA line. Ryan Johansen, Viktor Arvidsson and Forsberg have to be the envy of the league. The way they set up each other for scoring chances is a beautiful thing to watch. They make the Predators a tough team to take down even on their worst night.

This trio, which is a major tribute to GM David Poile, is in the midst of another great season together. Three of the top four scorers on the team come from the JoFA line, with Forsberg leading the way. They’ve contributed 21 goals combined, which is nearly a goal per game. That’s consistency and reliable scoring from the top line. There’s been rumblings at times of splitting the JoFA line up, but my belief is they need to stay together. The Predators are never out of a game with all of the scoring chances they create as a unit.

The Predators are hitting their stride in November with a record of 8-2. Getting a top seed in the playoffs is the goal, and the success of the JoFA is the major key to that.

David Poile keeps rolling

We can’t say enough about how great David Poile is. He’s the ultimate team builder and has crafted together a roster that will be formidable for many years. It didn’t happen overnight, or even over a single season. He’s meticulously built this team from the ground up, and made the Predators an offensive juggernaut. The result of that is being the current Western Conference champs.

His latest work of magic is signing Kyle Turris from Ottawa, giving the Predators another top-end center. Giving up some promising young prospects is tough to see, but Poile is all in on winning on the big stage now. Thanks is owed to having a GM that isn’t shy about making moves, and most of them have produced positive results. Turris is thriving with his new team, and will be a treasure in the playoffs with his leadership.

The Predators will remain a relevant team as long as Poile is calling the shots. He’s making this franchise a desirable place for the NHL’s biggest stars to wear gold. Eventually, his knowledge and ability to recognize talent will produce a Stanley Cup. The JoFA line was mentioned earlier, and Poile obviously is the mastermind behind that work of art.

Pekka Rinne is the foundation

I’ll admit that I was weary of what Rinne would produce this season. As great as he was carrying the Predators through the playoffs, he hit a wall against Pittsburgh. I stand corrected after seeing what Rinne is doing this season with 12 wins, a .922 save percentage and a shutout. He keeps making the saves at crucial moments in games to keep the Predators alive.

Rinne is obviously nearing the end of his career, but the Predators still desperately need him. The backup goaltender situation isn’t ideal at the moment. The fact that Rinne isn’t really slowing down is a reason to be thankful. The Predators would be in an unsettling situation if Juuse Saros was the top goaltender.

It will be difficult when Rinne does decide to retire. Hopefully it comes in a Predators uniform, but let’s appreciate him while he’s still making those highlight reel saves. How much of an ambassador he is off the ice makes him even more special to this franchise and city.