Nashville Predators: Looking Back At Every 2nd Round Series in Franchise History

Predators lose in 5 games to Phoenix

Yes, they were still called the Phoenix Coyotes at the time. This series loss was tough to swallow. Even more so than any other first-round defeat due to the expectations. The previous year marked a new beginning for the Nashville Predators franchise. They can be more than just an annual first-round playoff casualty.

The Coyotes dominated most of this series, dismantling the Predators in five games. It was frustrating to see an ascending Predators team with plenty of talent get ran out of the arena in the second in such short order. It was the first time I can remember questioning Barry Trotz and where he can take the franchise. Was the ceiling under Trotz simply just making the playoffs? That was no longer good enough for most fans.

With the series at 2-1 in favor of Phoenix, the Predators’ offensive woes showed its ugly face. It’s nice to know the Predators don’t face that problem anymore. The Predators managed just one goal in the last two games of the series, leaving a lot of fans disappointed that the Predators were hitting another wall. A couple more scoring threats and the Predators get that series to at least seven games.