Nashville Predators Need to Prove They Belong Against Carolina Hurricanes

The way this last portion of the schedule has shaped up for the Nashville Predators has truly been something to behold. It’s felt like playoff hockey for over a month now, and I’m all here for it.

After completely letting one get away last night against the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Predators now have to prove they can hang with a team that will likely be their first-round playoff opponent, if they get in of course.

The Predators have shown they can hang with every other team in the division to some degree, but the Hurricanes have completely owned this season series. It has to change in the last two regular season games.

Possibly a first-round series preview

The Predators have to face the NHL-leading Carolina Hurricanes in the last two games of the regular season while also hoping that the Dallas Stars lose just one more game in regulation out of their last three games.

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We really need to see the Predators give us a strong showing against Carolina in these final two games, regardless of what Dallas does. The Predators have to show that they made the right decision at the trade deadline by not being active sellers and instead chose to stick with what they have.

Up until now that decision has brought some positive results as the team has continued to win and hold onto the fourth playoff spot. But if this team gets completely embarrassed in the first round then there’s going to be a lot of people asking “What was it really all for?”.

You’re going to have a hard time convincing fans that the right decisions were made to not address the long-term future of the roster if the Hurricanes, or whoever ends up winning the division, steamrolls the Predators in the first round.

This kind of feels like pick your poison, but I’d much rather face Tampa Bay or Florida in the first round over Carolina, and it’s really not even close. Maybe I’ll back off that strong stance after these last two games.

If this playoff push comes up short and Dallas ends up getting in, then things are really going to get dicey around here. But let’s not think worst-case scenario right now.

Do the Nashville Predators really belong in the playoffs?

Can we draw any comparisons to the 2016-17 Predators team that also entered the playoffs as a bottom seed and had a stacked opponent to get past with the Chicago Blackhawks? That team was definitely a more complete team, but also one that very few gave any chance of beating the Blackhawks, much less sweeping them.

Just for the mental psyche alone, the Predators need to show they can hang with the Hurricanes, a team who was my preseason pick to win the Central Division and also my pick to be in the Stanley Cup. They’re just absolutely loaded in all facets of the game, so the Predators are up against a tall order here.

However, I think the Predators have to show some strides in this matchup. They’ve been outscored 23-9 in this six games in the season series, and only one of those got to overtime on March 9. Just before the Predators went on their hot streak.

So what’s it going to take for the Predators to finally get a win against this talented and loaded Hurricanes team? The simple answer is Juuse Saros is going to have to continue to play like a Vezina Trophy worthy goaltender. Fair or not, that’s what this team has shown over the past month and a half.

Another area that the Predators have to show huge improvement in over these last two regular season games is their special teams play. I’ve been harping on this all season and there’s been flashes of strong play in both the power play and penalty killing, but it’s been putrid as of for the most part.

It’s going to take outstanding special teams play against the Hurricanes to avoid being swept this season in all eight games. We need the power play to become more opportunistic to hang with the likes of the Hurricanes on the scoreboard.

Eeli Tolvanen has been kept quiet as of late. His goal drought sits at six games, with his last goal coming on April 21, which was his first game back from injury.

The team is starting to get fully healthy again as Dante Fabbro was the latest injured player to return. So the injury excuse is no longer applicable.

If for nothing else, let’s get Pekka Rinne one more start this regular season in front of the home crowd. It could very well be his last in a Predators uniform, and ideally we’d like to see it come Saturday night after the Stars lose in regulation on Friday.

I’ll be happy nonetheless to see the Predators finish off this wild playoff push by actually getting in, but it’ll be hard for me to get too amped up if the Predators continue to look completely outmatched against the Hurricanes. They have to dig deep and show me something here in these last two games.