Nashville Predators: Ranking Their Biggest Rivals in Franchise History
By Chad Minton
4. San Jose Sharks
Head-to-head record: 76 games, 37-29-(2)-8
Point percentage: .553%
Goal differential: +12
This rivalry is fueled largely because of the playoff meetings, both are fairly young franchises and the fact that neither franchise has won a Stanley Cup.
However, the Sharks were a nasty and physically bruising team in those early playoff meetings with the Predators. They were easy to despise, and were a thorn in the side for the Predators trying to advance past the first round.
The Predators and Sharks first met in the playoffs in 2006, with the Sharks easily dismantling the Predators in five games. That one stung for Predators fans because we had already had a taste of making the playoffs, and now we wanted more.
The Sharks were vastly more talented than the Predators, especially offensively with players like Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and others.
They were also loaded in net with Evgeni Nabokov, who the Predators just couldn’t solve.
Guess who the Predators played in the first round of the playoffs next season? Those pesky San Jose Sharks. The Predators just couldn’t figure them out, despite becoming a much more complete team with players like Paul Kariya, Jason Arnott, Shea Weber and Martin Erat.
The Sharks would eliminate the Predators in the playoffs once again in the second round of the playoffs in 2016. A grueling series that went seven games, and the Predators left everything on the ice to lose that final game on the road at San Jose.
So no redemption against the Sharks in the playoffs, but they do have the better point percentage over the years with 37 regulation wins to San Jose’s 29 regulation wins.