A rash of injuries has the Nashville Predators performing below full strength, putting their depth to the test as they try to stay atop the division.
You can’t be upset about where the Nashville Predators sit in the Central Division nearly 30 games in. They’ve logged several impressive wins over quality opponents and have the division lead in a competitive Central. However, the piling up of injuries to key players is threatening that narrow division lead as the season grinds on.
The Predators have a conference-leading 39 points, but three divisional teams are right on their heels within six points. Even when the Predators seem to be in cruise control, the rest of the division keeps pace. It doesn’t leave a lot of room for error. Only consistency and role players taking on bigger roles will keep the team on the right track.
The fact is every team is dealing with injuries to some degree. Nashville has their fair share with Filip Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson, P.K. Subban, and Kyle Turris all on injured reserve. Not an ideal group of players you want to see missing extended time. The great teams figure out ways to stay on course and take the “next man up” mentality. Easier said than done, but we’re about to find out if this team can weather the storm and remain the team being chased by everyone else.
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Players picking up the slack
First off, I’ve been happily wrong about Pekka Rinne and what he would offer this season. I thought Juuse Saros would gradually start taking on a larger role as the aging Rinne regressed a bit. Instead, Rinne is putting this team on his back and carrying them to wins. His most recent outing against a red-hot Buffalo team kept the game from going to overtime. He’s not necessarily piling up the saves in every game, but he’s making key stops that ordinary goaltenders don’t make.
Rinne has a healthy lead against the rest of the NHL in goals-against average at 1.81, and is just trailing by the slimmest of margins for the league lead in save percentage. He’s doing this without a lot of goal support. The Predators are averaging less than three goals per game over their last six. Something we’re not accustomed to in recent memory. Rinne will have to keep up this elite play until the top offensive weapons of Forsberg and Arvidsson can return.
Another player to be impressed with through the injuries is Kevin Fiala. His season hasn’t been a smooth one, but he’s beginning to change that. I’m loving his aggression and his elevation into a bigger role. With offensive weapons out for the foreseeable future, you need Fiala to help offset that loss in production. He’s doing that so far with six points in his last six games.
Teams to worry about
When the Predators are 100 percent healthy, it’s hard for me to be too worried about any team. Even playing undermanned, the Predators are 6-3 over their last nine games. When you take Forsberg, Arvidsson, P.K. Subban and Kyle Turris out of the equation, I start worrying about a few teams.
The first team that comes to mind is Colorado, a team that boasts maybe the best top line in the NHL. They have a recent win over the Predators in a hard-fought 3-2 final score. If Nashville has their full arsenal of players, you can argue they come out with that win. Either way, the Avalanche stand a good chance of overtaking the Predators in the coming weeks. Even if it’s temporary.
It’s no surprise that Winnipeg is quietly staying relevant. They’re just five points behind Nashville and their roster remains just as deadly as it was last year. All three of these teams will benefit from several key injuries the Predators are dealing with and keep the Central Division a tight race throughout the season. It’s not going to be a runaway as the Predators may end up dropping some games they would otherwise win if they had their top dogs.
We knew winning back-to-back division titles would be a major challenge. The Predators started off hot, and are still playing well despite some bad luck. If the Predators temporarily lose the division lead, there won’t be any reason to lose sleep over it. This team is built to win in the postseason, and they’ll still be the team to beat in the West once they get some top players back.