Nashville Predators: Playoff Push Enters Critical Phase to Save Season

We’re in the midst of this intense playoff push by the Nashville Predators with eight games remaining and it’s left me wondering how we should feel if another first round exit ends up occurring.

Considering how this season looked dead in the water not even two months ago, it’s pretty incredible that we’re getting treated to playoff intensity hockey down this final stretch. We’re fortunate to have that considering what the team has been through.

There’s no doubt about it that if the Predators come up short of a playoff berth then it will be crushing and unacceptable. However, if they come out on top for the fourth spot ahead of Dallas and Chicago then that will be something to be proud of and build upon going into the offseason.

Simply put, we’re already in playoff mode for these final eight games. They can earn their way in and give us that taste of postseason hockey in Smashville for the first time since 2019.

The pressure is intensified for the Nashville Predators

The Predators currently sit with 52 points and just two points ahead of the Dallas Stars for the fourth spot. The Chicago Blackhawks are right there as well with 49 points after getting their first win in seven attempts against the Predators last night.

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Beating out both of these teams for that final playoff spot will be a major accomplishment for this Predators team that’s still missing a lot of key pieces in the lineup, including Filip Forsberg. They are starting to get closer to full strength with Matt Duchene and Eeli Tolvanen recently rejoining the lineup.

It’s going to take at least six wins out of their final eight games for them to earn a playoff spot. Dallas has three extra games in hand, so the Predators can’t let up at all. They first need to deal the Blackhawks one final blow in Friday’s game, and also beat Dallas head-to-head on May 1 in Nashville.

This season will unfortunately still be considered a failure in my book if the Predators come up short of the playoffs, despite the hot streak and navigating through all the injuries. It will illustrate to me that the team made the wrong decision at the trade deadline to be mostly inactive.

With that said, regardless of how the playoff push ends, the Predators certainly have a bright future to build upon moving into the offseason. That will come with some difficult contract negotiations and an expansion draft to deal with.

Playoff hockey on Lower Broadway

I can’t stress enough how much playoff hockey in Bridgestone Arena will be a glorious thing for the Nashville community. After a challenging year for all of us in 2020, sports are gradually bringing us back together.

The Predators fanbase is a tight-knit one that will generate an electric playoff atmosphere even with capacity restrictions. If the Predators are able to host a couple playoff games against Carolina or Tampa Bay in the first round, you better believe the fans will bring the energy to fuel this Predators team.

Head Coach John Hynes has already illustrated how much the fans fuel the team at home as recently as earlier this week when the Predators beat the Blackhawks for the sixth-straight game this season:

We need playoff hockey in Nashville, even if it means dealing with a first round exit yet again. With all that this team has dealt with, I’ll be able to live with a first round exit way more easily than I did in 2019 against the Dallas Stars or last year in the bubble against the Arizona Coyotes.

Seeing all of the young players rise up to the occasion and the pressure to produce an exciting brand of hockey and reignite the fans will be hopefully be rewarded with playoff hockey in Bridgestone Arena.

I wish I could realistically strive for more for this team than just simply making the playoffs, but that’s my ceiling for them at this point. Of course crazy things can happen in the NHL playoffs, but I’ll still be extremely pleased to see them just get in and host some playoff games on Lower Broadway.

I’ll deal with the heartbreak later. For right now, give me some playoff hockey in Smashville. Time to finish off this extraordinary run that the Predators have went on to salvage the season.