Nashville Predators: Top Contributors In Playoff Push

It is almost too good of a story to be believed. The Nashville Predators have made it into the 2020-21 Stanley Cup Playoffs. A feat that seemed near impossible only a few short months ago.

The Predators also pulled off another incredible accomplishment to get into the field of sixteen. They closed out the regular season with a two-game series against the Carolina Hurricanes, winning both contests.

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Nashville had yet to beat Carolina in the regular season and only needed two points to secure the final playoff spot in the Central Division. They got four in what turned out to be decisive back-to-back wins.

The Predators’ best against the Hurricanes was a one-point overtime loss back on March 9.

A week after that overtime loss to Carolina in March, the Predators would go on a run that no one could imagine possible, winning six games in a row to close out the month of March.

The first half of the season was abysmal for Nashville. Their record was a paltry 11-16-1. They could never gain any momentum, at best managing to string together two wins here and there.

The second half of the season started with a loss to the Lightning, but then the Predators flipped a switch. They beat Tampa Bay and Florida in back-to-back games, lost to Florida in the second of a two-game set, but then went on a six-game winning streak.

They only lost two consecutive games for the rest of the season, both against Carolina in mid-April. They closed the second half of the season with a record of 20-7-1 and finished the season 31-23-2.

It took a significant effort from the team and coaching staff to get to where the Predators are now. They proved everyone wrong and also confirmed that they belong in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Here is a look at some players that helped them get there.

Luke Kunin

Many were on the fence when the Predators announced that they had traded Nick Bonino to the Minnesota Wild for Forward Luke Kunin. By all accounts, this trade has worked out pretty well for Nashville.

Kunin came out the gate hot, scoring two goals in the first two games of the season, then as the wheels began falling off for the Predators, so too for Kunin.

Kunin only managed three assists in his next 15 games. An injury at the end of February caused him to miss almost the entire month of March.

After returning from injury, Kunin had a solid finish to the season. He managed to get at least one point in 14 of the final 21 games. Kunin also had four points in three games on two different occasions and two goals in the last game of the season.

Kunin’s tenacity, speed, and ability to score in front of the net have been welcome additions during this final playoff push. The Predators will need for him to continue playing well as they start their playoff run.

The Herd Line

In the past, the Predators touted one of the hardest working lines in the NHL in Bonino, Craig Smith, and Rocco Grimaldi. Bonino and Smith are no longer on the team, and Grimaldi has recently become a healthy scratch on several occasions.

This season has featured a new fourth line that rivals and could potentially surpass that Bonino line. The line initially consisted of Colton Sissons, Yakov Trenin, and Mathieu Olivier. When Olivier became injured, Tanner Jeannot replaced him.

A line that Bally Sports South rink reporter Kara Hammer touted “the Herd line.” Named so because the line features a “Colt,” a “Yak,” and a “Biloxi Bull” in Olivier. Being from Oxbow, Saskatchewan, Jeannot has been dubbed the “Oxbow Ox,” fitting right in with the theme.

This line has become the starting line and has quickly become a fan favorite. They are known for their aggressive playmaking ability and getting under the skin of their opponents.

Before the season began, GM David Poile said that he wanted the Predators to feature more “grit” and be a team that is known for their work ethic. What a surprise it must have been to find out that this line embodies everything that he wanted.

The Herd line has been an integral part of this epic run in the second half of the season. So much so that Jeannot may have taken Olivier’s spot so that the line can continue its success.

The Herd line will be called upon often as the playoffs begin. It will take every ounce of tenacity that they can muster when facing the Hurricanes in the first round.