Nashville Predators: Three Keys To Beating The Panthers

Nashville Predators players celebrate after a goal by defenseman Mattias Ekholm (14) as Florida Panthers center Eetu Luostarinen (27) skates off during the second period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Nashville Predators players celebrate after a goal by defenseman Mattias Ekholm (14) as Florida Panthers center Eetu Luostarinen (27) skates off during the second period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
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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.

Bally Sports South. Monday, April 26. 26-21-2. 7 PM CDT. 97. 151. . 31-13-5

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.

Nashville Predators (Photo Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports)
Nashville Predators (Photo Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports) /

The Predators have suffered in the power-play category for quite some time. In fact, they haven’t scored a power-play goal in their past nine games.

In those nine games, they had 23 power-play opportunities but could not find the back of the net. Mikael Granlund scored the Predators’ last power-play goal on April 6 against the Detroit Red Wings.

The Predators’ power-play had gotten a boost with the addition of Eeli Tolvanen. He leads Nashville with six power-play goals this season.

With Tolvanen becoming a bit of a specialist, it is probably no coincidence that the Predators started having issues with their power-play when he came out of the lineup due to injury.

With the season coming to a close and the race for the fourth playoff spot in the Central Division winding down, the Predators have to fix their power-play issue quickly.

With Tolvanen back in the lineup and the critical need for points to get into the playoffs, the Predators need to get back on track during this matchup with the Panthers and take advantage of any power-play opportunity that may arise.

Nashville Predators (Photo Credit by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Nashville Predators (Photo Credit by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

If there was any doubt about who will be the starting goaltender next season, Juuse Saros has erased those doubts. But for now, there is only one thing that should be at the forefront. He must maintain the consistency that he has recently brought to the team if they hope to make the playoffs.

Saros has played well since returning from injury. So well, in fact, he has become one of the top goaltenders in the league and has started to enter the Vezina Trophy conversation.

Saros now sits with a 2.27 GAA and a .926 SV%. His ability to stop pucks has been a significant factor in the Predators’ recent success.

With only seven games left in the season and with the caliber of teams that he will face, such as the Panthers and the Carolina Hurricanes, Saros has to keep up the level of play that he has shown.

With the imminent retirement of Pekka Rinne, Saros will be the Predators’ starter next season and beyond. He has to use these last few games of the season to prove that he can keep up his intensity and help carry the Predators into the playoffs and the future.

Nashville Predators (Photo Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports)
Nashville Predators (Photo Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports) /

While the Predators’ struggles this season are well documented, we can look at some of the changes they made that helped turn their season around.

One thing the Predators did was to simplify their game. Instead of relying on finesse and fancy passing, they switched gears and began forechecking more, made shorter, more reliable passes to get the puck into the offensive zone, and did a better job of crowding their net to protect their goaltender.

The most noticeable change the Predators made was upping their intensity level and buying into the system implemented by Head Coach John Hynes.

The Predators have become a team that is harder to play against than in the past, getting back to playing “the Predator Way.” The slow and shaky 2nd periods were replaced with more well-rounded games where they played a full 60 minutes of hockey.

The Predators also began to handle adversity better. Before the turnaround, a two-goal deficit would have been a death sentence. Now they buckle down, work hard, and never give up.

Must Read. Nashville Predators: Why Head Coach John Hynes Is Here To Stay. light

With only seven games left in the season, the Predators need to keep their focus and remember what got them to this point. Making the playoffs was only a pipe dream a month and a half ago.

The Predators will be facing the number two team in the Central Division tonight. They have victories against the Panthers, but these two upcoming games take on monumental importance.

The Predators have to finish strong but may also have to rely on some scoreboard luck from some other teams. Regardless, this turnaround is nothing short of amazing and something that Nashville can use as fuel for next season.

The puck drops at 7:00 PM CDT and will be televised on Bally Sports South.  Follow along with us on Twitter for up-to-the-minute game commentary.

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