Filip Forsberg Has Hot Hand For Nashville Predators
The NHL season is in full swing, and one thing has become apparent to the fans of the Nashville Predators. It’s Filip Forsberg’s and his mustache’s world, and we are just living in it.
Forsberg is off to a great start this season. He has scored a goal in all three of the Predators’ contests.
Although we are only three games into the season, Forsberg may be on track to have his best season to date.
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It’s a welcome change from last season. While Forsberg did wind up scoring 48 points (21 goals, 27 assists), it’s less than seasons past and less than what he can achieve.
Forsberg started last season much in the same fashion as this season. He managed to tally a goal in the first four games and then, like the rest of the team, had flashes of brilliance but no overall consistency.
We can all recall last February being dubbed “Filbruary,” much to Forsberg’s chagrin, due to a month-long stretch with no goals.
In fact, he didn’t score a goal until the third game in March.
Forsberg scored two goals against the Canadiens in what would turn out to be the season’s final game due to the pandemic.
A rejuvenated Forsberg was a must if the Predators were to have any chance of advancing in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers.
While Forsberg played well during the Qualifiers, tallying 5 points (3 goals, 2 assists), it was not enough to lift the Predators past an Arizona Coyotes team.
Even though the Predators didn’t get the results they wanted, some positives came out of those losses.
We saw the resurrection of the JoFA line and a rekindling of a player in Forsberg that is teetering on the brink of becoming an elite forward.
Predators Need A Rejuvenated Forsberg
In the first game of the 2020-21 season, Forsberg scored his 167th goal and moved into 2nd place on the Predators all-time goals list, overtaking former Predators defenseman Shea Weber.
Forsberg immediately began adding to his career goals total by scoring goal 168 in the second game against the Columbus Blue Jackets from almost the same spot as his first. He scored again in the losing effort against the Carolina Hurricanes.
This shortened season will produce lower numbers, but the Predators are getting something more from Forsberg that helps his team. His confidence and ability to score when needed is precisely what the Predators will need if they are to have any hope of staying in the hunt for the playoffs.
With the Predators’ new defensive mindset, it’s crucial now more than ever that we see continued and consistent scoring from Forsberg. He is one of the core pieces for this Predators team, and how he performs will dictate how this team is built in the years to come.
Forsberg has always flirted with becoming an elite forward in the NHL but has yet to enter the conversation consistently. He has two seasons under his belt where he scored 64 points. The 2014-15 season saw him tally 63 points as well.
This season marks Forsberg’s ninth in the NHL. The time is now if he is to make the push into the elite category. Even if that never happens, Predators fans should consider themselves lucky to have a player of Forsberg’s caliber on this roster.