Nashville Predators: How to Beat the Avalanche

Hold Down the Fort

This season, Nashville had one of the best records at home in the NHL. The team went 28-9-4 in 41 games at Bridgestone Arena, outscoring opponents 139-107 in the process.

In front of one of the most energetic crowds in the NHL, the Predators thrived. With the exception of a few hiccups, Nashville was very sound across the board at home.

Last season, Nashville was 9-2 at home in the playoffs, a number that propelled them all the way to the Stanley Cup.

Now that Nashville has home ice all the way through the playoffs, that home ice becomes even more important. If Nashville were to not win a single road game this postseason, they could still win the Cup.

Furthermore, being able to win at home will give Nashville huge advantages, as having a 2-0 series lead before playing in the opponent’s arena, is hugely beneficial.

Nashville sold out every game this season, a stat that makes Bridgestone Arena a very tough place to play.

Having a fan base like Nashville has, that can show up and make a difference on a nightly basis is an enormous advantage. The fans just witnessed the best Predators season in history, so you know that crowds will be overflowing into the street.

As a Colorado player, seeing thousands of people simply standing outside the building is just as intimidating at playing in a fully packed arena. Nashville has the advantage when they are at home, so they must win at Bridgestone.

Shut Down MacKinnon

Simply put, the Colorado Avalanche live and die with Nathan MacKinnon. That’s no secret.

All offense runs through him, as he scored 39 goals and finished with 97 points this season. Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog are both very capable scorers, tallying 29 and 25 goals respectively, however without MacKinnon, they have no spark.

He’s one of the fastest players in the NHL, and can score from any and everywhere on the ice.

He’s having an MVP-caliber season and was a problem for Nashville in their four regular-season meetings. In almost 21 minutes on ice per game vs Nashville, MacKinnon scored 2 goals and added an assist.

However, Nashville was able to expose him as a defender, as he finished with a -6 rating in those 4 games. That being said, even if he scores, Nashville has shown the ability to neutralize his playmaking, with some of their own.

After MacKinnon and his line, production drops off tremendously for Colorado. The next highest scoring forward is Alexander Kerfoot with 19 goals and 43 points.

Bottom line, Nashville has to shut down Nathan MacKinnon if they want to win this series. If he isn’t a factor, I think the Predators can win this series easily.

STAY HEALTHY!

This is the biggest key to the postseason. If you throw everything I’ve said so far out the window, this is the one that has to stay. If Nashville cannot stay healthy, they’re in trouble.

Last season, Nashville suffered major injuries to Kevin Fiala and Ryan Johansen in the playoffs, creating a void younger players had to step into.

Nashville is a very deep team, especially after the additions of Ryan Hartman, Mike Fisher, and Eeli Tolvanen, however, injuries are never good.

The Predators have the luxury of one of the deepest benches in the league, however, losing a key player is game and series-altering.

Nashville has built fantastic chemistry this year, as their core group has remained the same for a few years now. Any alteration to that core group of production could be a huge wrench in the Predators playoff path.

Nashville has been blessed with good health this season, with no real major injuries. That being said, let’s please keep it that way.

Knock on wood

What to Expect

If Nashville can win at home, eliminate MacKinnon, and stay healthy, they should roll through Colorado fairly easily. I think it’ll happen in 5 games, with one slip up on the road.

The Predators dominated the Avalanche in the regular season, and certainly can do it again.

Nashville has a deep bench, a balanced offensive attack, great fans, and one of the best blue lines in the league. That right there is a recipe for victory.

We all saw the Predators turn into a different monster last postseason, as the number 8 seed. They dominated and swept the #1 seed Blackhawks in the first round, the exact same situation that we are seeing right now.

Nashville is a fundamentally better and more talented team than Colorado, however, they won’t just show up and beat Nathan MacKinnon and Company without a fight.

117 points, a Central division and Western Conference title, and a President’s Trophy looks great on a resume. It means nothing though, if you don’t keep winning and dominating your opponents in the playoffs.

Next: Nashville Predators: Regular Season Awards for Predators

Who: Colorado vs Nashville

Where: Bridgestone Arena

When: Thursday, 4/12, 8:30 PM Central time

Why: FOR THE CUP

Go Preds Go!