The Nashville Predators took care of business and did exactly what they needed to do against the Chicago Blackhawks. After suffering a tough loss last Wednesday, the Predators secured a 3-1 victory on Friday and claimed two more points in the standings.
Friday night’s win, along with a win by the Dallas Stars, gives the Predators just a two-point cushion in the Central Division standings. There are only seven games left in the regular season for Nashville.
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Four of those seven games are against two of the top teams in the Central Division. The last two season games are against the Carolina Hurricanes, who the Predators have yet to beat this year.
Monday begins a back-to-back set against the team in second place in the Central, the Florida Panthers. The Predators are 2-4 against Florida so far.
These two games against Florida are crucial for the Predators. Winning them both will help their chances at staying in the fourth playoff spot.
The Dallas Stars, sitting in the fifth spot, and the Chicago Blackhawks, sitting in sixth, both have very tough schedules to finish their seasons. However, the Stars have two games in hand against Nashville while the Blackhawks have one.
With other teams having games in hand, picking up wins and points is a must for this Predators team. While that may be a tall order, the Predators have shown that they have lots of fight left in them and that they can continue this surge that has put them in a position to make the playoffs for the seventh straight year.
Here are the three keys for the Predators to secure a win against the Florida Panthers.