Nashville Predators: Four X-Factors to Upsetting Colorado Avalanche

Prove the Doubters Wrong Between the Pipes

If Juuse Saros wasn’t injured, there would still be very little hope in the Nashville Predators pulling off this upset. However, there would at least be an argument to be had that the Predators could push it to seven games and make it interesting.

With David Rittich being the likely Game 1 starter, the cloud of doubts hang over this team. The Avalanche are a high-scoring, speed team that’s going to push the Predators defense to the brink.

Rittich is likely going to have to put up multiple 40-save performances while hoping that he gets a lot of goal support. I’m think four to five goals per game to hang with the Avalanche on the scoreboard.

I do think that Rittich is capable of piling up high save totals, but will that matter if the Avalanche still get four-plus goals? Saros is world class and can conceivably put up the occasional 40-save shutouts, but I’m not sure Rittich can do the same.

If Rittich puts this team on his back with stellar goaltending, he’ll earn himself quite the contract in the offseason as he’s due to be a UFA.

Can Duchene and Forsberg stay red hot?

This x-factor ties into the previous slide as the Nashville Predators will undoubtedly need high goal totals to win these games. I don’t expect a low-scoring, defense first series like I was expecting against the Calgary Flames.

Unfortunately, this style of game doesn’t fit the Predators, but fits the Avalanche perfectly. The Predators can try to match their fast playing style,  but they don’t have enough personnel to match the Avalanche toe-to-toe in this area.

With that said, Matt Duchene and Filip Forsberg carrying over what they accomplish in the regular seaosn will go a long way into keep the score close, even if the Avalanche do get their goals.

Both Duchene and Forsberg easily broke the single-season franchise goal record previously held by Viktor Arvidsson. We watched all season these two dynamic players trade goals, and in the end Duchene finished with 43 goals, and Forsberg with 42.

For comparison, the Avalanche actually had zero 40-plus goal scorers, but are way deeper with three 30-plus goal scorers, and seven 20-plus goal scorers. Predators had five.

We have to see Duchene and Forsberg carry the heavy load offensively. They absolutely cannot go on a goal drought in this series or it will be quick and painful. A sweep, and a rather uncompetitive one, if these two don’t carry over what they did in the regular season.

Make it Ugly, Force Avs to play your style

The Nashville Predators are who they are, like it or not. You can’t ask them to chance this late in the season heading into the playoffs. They have to ride and die with their hard-hitting, physical style that unfortunately leads to a lot of penalties.

They can absoluely try to limit the inexcusable lazy penalties like leaving your stick out too long because you got beat to a loose puck for a tripping penalty. But penalties are going to happen, and maybe the refs will swallow the whistle since it’s the playoffs.

Either way, the Predators need to turn this into a slugfest defensively. Figure out a way to slow down the Avalanche rush and obviously limit the shots on goal. Even more so, limit the odd-man rushes that’s going to burn Rittich, or whoever is in net for that matter.

The Predators have shown glimpses of being able to play impressive defensive games. They did that recently against Calgary in a shootout win, and they did it against other teams like Minnesota, Pittsburgh and San Jose in April.

I’m really hoping that Jeremy Lauzon can get back into the starting lineup. He hasn’t appeared in a game since April 16 with a leg injury, but there’s a decent chance he can be ready for Game 1. This team badly needs his defensive skillset for this series, and his penalty killing.

The Predators are going to have to do an extraordinary job at getting into shot lanes and blocking shots. That can go a long way into protecting their goaltender, something even the Arizona Coyotes exposed the Predators with in the season finale.

Playoff Joey

I’ve loved how much Ryan Johansen has proven me wrong this season. He’s been overshadowed some due to the milestone seasons from Forsberg, Duchene and Josi, but Johansen has also had a huge bounce-back season.

Johansen crushed his Predators career-high in goals with 26, and his third-highest of his career going back to his Blue Jackets days.

What stands out even more is Johansen’s impact on the Predators’  top-ten power play, which he contributed 11 goals. By far a career-high, with his previous high being twice with Columbus.

Now, can Johansen avoid disappearing like he he’s been guilty of in th past? His impact on the power play can really tilt the scales more evenly in this series if he finds the back of the net at the same rate he did in the regular season.

You also can’t overlook the other impacts that Johansen has made this season including faceoff wins, hits, distributing the puck and just intangible leadership. He’s been outstanding this season, despite like Duchene, being left unprotected in the expansion draft.

Nashville Predators vs. Colorado Avalanche Series Prediction

After dishing out my four x-factors that need to happen for the Predators to have a chance, I still have the Avalanche unfortunately winning in five games.

The Predators drew the absolutely worst first-round opponent they could’ve drawn. The Avalanche have too many weapons, are too deep, elite on the power play and have an underrated goaltender in Darcy Kuemper.

If Saros was playing, I’d give the Predators an extra game to go six. Without him, the scoring is going to come early and often from Colorado. Too much to handle for a Predators team that overperformed and proved virtually every expert wrong in their preseason predictions.

Game 1 is scheduled for Tuesday night in Denver at 8:30 PM CT.