Nashville Predators: Multiple Scenarois to Lock Up Another Playoff Berth

Let’s be honest here, folks. We don’t want this playoff push for the Nashville Predators to linger into their final two games of the season, a back-to-back against the Colorado Avalanche and Arizona Coyotes on the road.

First off, you better believe that the road fans in Colorado and Arizona will give the Predators hell and then some if they have to come into those buildings with the playoffs still on the line. No, thank you.

Simple for the Nashville Predators; Just Win Baby

So with that, the Nashville Predators enter their Tuesday night matchup and home finale against the Calgary Flames with a “win and you’re in” situation. Well, kind of. It has to come in regulation for the Dallas/Vegas matchup to not matter.

That’s as basic as it can get, and the Flames already have the Pacific Division crown achieved.

However, the Flames probably have a bad taste in their mouth from exactly a week ago when the Predators took them down in a shootout in what was a defensive grinder. Expect more of the same, although the Flames have plenty of shooters who can make the scoreboard get ugly real fast.

The Predators’ defensive collapses continue to be a major eyesore that quite frankly will make their playoff stint short and painful yet again if they don’t fix it. Not sure they can fix it until the offseason and massive overhauls can happen.

If for some reason the Predators can’t take care of their own business tonight against the Flames, they can still get in through the backdoor via the Dallas Stars handing the Vegas Golden Knights one last crushing blow.

This post trolling the Golden Knights completely falling apart late to eventually lose to the hapless San Jose Sharks made me spit my coffee out:

Maybe that’s our only hope. Just cling onto the Golden Knights completely choking one more time and to make it easier on the untrustworthy Predators.

Thinking about this Dallas/Vegas matchup, it has the makings of going to overtime and making us sweat even more. But if it does reach overtime and Vegas gets the win, then the Predators will once again be on their own.

The Predators have to stop starting off games in ugly fashion and giving the other team prime scoring chances on power plays. They did a great job of that in last week’s win over Calgary, but adjustments and the revenge factor makes me think Calgary will bring their “A” game tonight regardless of them not really having much to play for in the standings.

And for the love of everything in me, protect your goaltender! Juuse Saros can’t be this mediocre. My heart can’t take it. Show him some love tonight.

So to put it plainly, the worst case scenario tonight is the Nashville Predators obviously losing in regulation and Vegas winning in overtime. And honestly, the way these things seem to always pan out, let’s just expect the worst and hope for the best.