Predlines
Fansided

Nashville Predators: Food for Thought While Nashville Awaits the Jets

By Jake Evans

(Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images)
(Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next
DENVER, CO – APRIL 22: Ryan Ellis #4, Colton Sissons #10, Mattias Ekholm #14 and Austin Wilson #51 of the Nashville Predators celebrate a goal against the Colorado Avalanche in Game Six of the Western Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Pepsi Center on April 22, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – APRIL 22: Ryan Ellis #4, Colton Sissons #10, Mattias Ekholm #14 and Austin Wilson #51 of the Nashville Predators celebrate a goal against the Colorado Avalanche in Game Six of the Western Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Pepsi Center on April 22, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

Playoff Predators

I know this sounds silly, and they did just win a playoff series, but I still don’t think we’ve seen the best of the Nashville Predators. The closest they’ve been so far was Game 6, however, I still don’t think that was Nashville’s A++ hockey.

The Predators were spotty at best against the Avalanche. With the exception of total domination in Game 6, Nashville never really played a complete game. We would see bits and pieces of the team that won the President’s Trophy, but never were graced with 60 full minutes of dominant Predator hockey.

Even when they were up 3-0 in game 4, they let Colorado crawl back into the game, turning a three-goal third-period lead, into a scrappy one goal finish.

Colorado was no pushover. However, the same effort will not cut it with the Jets. Winnipeg is more fundamentally sound and has more than just a few players who can threaten.

Winnipeg is not on a backup goalie…really the furthest thing from it. In fact, Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck is a fellow Vezina Trophy nominee with Nashville’s Pekka Rinne. With the exception of one 29 shot performance, Nashville put almost 37 shots per game on Hellebuyck. If Nashville wants to win, they will have to pepper the Jets like that. The more often Nashville is shooting, the less Patrik Laine and Blake Wheeler are. And that is a very good thing…

The playoff Predators have yet to come out yet for a full game, and when they do, I think it’s going to be something scary. They are extremely deep on offense and defense, meaning they can threaten with any line, at any time.

Rinne was arguably the best goalie in the league this year. At his best, he is hard to beat.

If Nashville can figure out how to fire on all cylinders, for a complete game, they should beat the Jets and move onto the Conference Finals.

Home/Editorials