Nashville Predators: Top Individual Playoff Performances in Team History

5. Joel Ward Surprises Everyone, 2011 Playoffs

It really doesn’t feel that long ago when the Nashville Predators broke past the first round barrier and got their first series win in franchise history by defeating the Anaheim Ducks in six games.

A key piece to the first-ever playoff series win for the Predators was Joel Ward, who always knew how to show up in clutch moments. He knew how to find that back of the net when his team needed a goal.

Ward was in his final season with the Predators after playing three seasons with the franchise. He made a name for himself league-wide in this 2011 playoff performance that included seven goals and six assists in 12 playoff games that year.

However, Ward’s goal-scoring surge didn’t stop in the first round. The Predators wanted more as they were getting a taste of the second round against a loaded Vancouver Canucks team.

Ward would score four goals in a three-game stretch against Vancouver to push it to six games, including the game-winner to push it to Game 6.

Although the Predators lost that series, Ward was a major catalyst with his goal scoring. He only had 10 goals in 80 regular season games before tallying those seven goals in the playoffs. Pretty remarkable stuff and shouldn’t be overlooked in Nashville Predators playoff history.