If you were banking on the Nashville Predators being a viable Stanley Cup contender just three months ago, then chances are you’ve already given up hope on this season.
The truth of the matter is, as painfully average as the Nashville Predators have been through 21 games, they’re not far behind their realistic benchmark that I personally set for them. And that’s with all of their flaws.
Lately the Predators have been finding, usually in ugly fashion, ways to come out with wins. It’s been a combination of different things that aren’t glamorous and filling up the highlight clips all over social media.
The Predators sit at 22 points and above .500 after their rather thrilling overtime win over the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday. They haven’t been two games above the mediocre .500 mark since opening the 2022-23 regular season with two wins at the NHL Global Series.
Let’s take a look at three reasons I’m optimistic about the Nashville Predators and their chances of turning this up a notch to climb back into more respectable territory in the Central Division race.