Nashville Predators 2022-23 Midseason Report Card
Nashville Predators Record Improvement
With a record 19-16-6 (44 points), the Nashville Predators find themselves in 5th place in the Central Division. They trail the Dallas Stars (57 points), Winnipeg Jets (55 points), Minnesota Wild (50 points), and St. Louis Blues (45 points) in their division.
In the Western Conference the Predators are on the outside looking in when it comes to playoff contention. They are currently three points out of a Wild Card Position trailing the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers by five and three points respectively with two games in hand.
According to moneypuck.com, the Nashville Predators have a 28.7% chance of making the playoffs. There are only 13 teams with a lower percentage at the halfway point.
The Predators have been able to put together a few three-game win streaks during the second quarter of the season. Mired in between two of those streaks was a part of the schedule where the Predators only won three of 12 games from December 8th – December 31.
At Bridgestone Arena this season the Predators have a 8-6-3 record. Playing only 17 games in front of the home crowd there are still 23 games at home. This will be favorable for this club as they typically play better in front of the 17,000+ fans in Smashville.
On the road the Predators hold a 10-9-3. They have played 23 games away from Smashville and have 18 remaining.
On the most recent road trip the Predators went 3-2-0, earning wins over the Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals, and the Ottawa Senators.
Previous Grade: D
Midway Grade: C
Nashville Predators Power Play Struggles Continue
The Nashville Predators ended the first quarter of the season with a 16.7% success rate on the power play ranking them 27th in the league. The second quarter of the season did not go any better with the Predators having another 16.7% success rate on the power play for the quarter.
As of late though, the passing by both power play units has looked a lot crisper and on target. They are also getting more pucks to the net.
New additions such as Juuso Parssinen and Thomas Novak on the first power play unit and Cody Glass on the second unit seems to have given them more life.
Still, on this past road trip the power play failed to deliver, including an 0-for-3 showing against the Montreal Canadiens and an 0-for-2 against the Maple Leafs where they only scored one goal.
The Predators have scored 23 power play goals at the midway point. Roman Josi still leads the charge on the top power play unit with five goals. He is followed by Filip Forsberg and Matt Duchene at four goals apiece.
While on the power play the Predators have given up three short-handed goals. Two of which came in the first quarter of the season and one in the second quarter. The Tampa Bay Lightning scored a shorthanded goal late in the third period during a 5-2 loss for the Predators in Tampa.
Overall, the Predators power play has looked significantly better than the first quarter there is still more room for improvement.
Previous Grade: D-
Midway Grade: C
Penalty Killers are Ridin’ Waves
The Nashville Predators can’t seem to find a rhythm. While the penalty kill units have stayed relatively the same throughout the season they, at times, look like they do not know where each other are on the ice.
Encompassing part of last quarter as well, from November 1st – December 13th the penalty kill went 44 for 58 and only had a 75.9% success rate on the kill. Luckily for them, they have since picked it up and have been playing outstanding.
Since December 14th, the Predators have gone 43 for 50 on the PK. They have had an 86% success rate which puts them towards the top of the league, without their struggles earlier in the season.
Due to the woeful play that they have shown in streaks, they find themselves ranking 15th with an overall 79.2% kill rate.
Yakov Trenin and Mark Jankowski have both been outstanding while the Predators are at a man disadvantage. They both scored a shorthanded goal during this quarter and have nine blocks and 11 takeaways combined.
Many nights on the penalty kill, Trenin looks like a human wrecking ball, running into anyone that touches the puck.
The penalty killers’ physical play, not allowing back door opportunities, and being relentless on the puck disrupts the opposing teams power play. Due to this the opposing team cannot get their units set up creating fewer scoring chances.
Previous Grade: B
Midway Grade: B+
The Struggle is Real with this Nashville Predators Offense
Through the first half of the season the main core of this Nashville Predators club still has not stepped up and played to their contracts. The Predators currently rank 27th in goals with 115.
Filip Forsberg leads the way for this offensive deprived team with 18 goals in 41 games. He is still managing one of his most efficient scoring seasons of his NHL career in terms of goals per game at 0.44. Only trailing last season.
Forsberg is followed by Nino Niederreiter (13 goals), Matt Duchene (11 goals), and Roman Josi (10 goals). Having only four goal scorers with double digit goals at the half way point of the season is not a key to success at all.
It’s not rocket science here. The only way you are going to win games is by putting the puck in the back of the net. The Predators have not been able to do that as often as they need to and that is the main reason they find themselves where they are in the standings.
If this team is going to have any possibility of bringing the Stanley Cup to Nashville this season, they have to start by scoring more goals. That’s the bottom line. No goals, no wins. No wins, no playoffs. No playoffs, No Cup. And these fans in Smashville deserve better. These fans deserve a Cup.
Previous Grade: C
Midway Grade: D
Goaltending and Defense Heating Up
The Nashville Predators have never had a shortage of help on the blueline, always relying heavily on their defense. During the first quarter of the season the Predators defense at times seemed as though it was non-existent on the ice.
They have started to turn things around over the course of this quarter. The Predators currently find themselves in 12th in the league in goals against. They have given up 121 goals through 41 games averaging 2.95 goals against per game.
The top defensive pairing of Josi and Ryan McDonagh has been nearly impenetrable during this quarter of the season having a stretch where that defensive tandem went multiple games without a goal against.
Also, the combination of Juuse Saros and Kevin Lankinen has been picking up steam as of late.
After his slow start, Saros has rebounded nicely with an overall average of 2.65 goals against average and .922 save percentage. Likewise, Lankinen has posted a 2.81 goals against average and a .918 save percentage.
With a tandem like that in the crease, they give the Predators a chance to win night in and night out. This is going to play a factor in the final stretch of the season as the Predators have a very busy schedule coming up.
Previous Grade: C
Midway Grade: B
The Midseason Grades Have Been Tallied…
Overall, the Nashville Predators have been mediocre at best during the first half of 2022-23 and their record reflects that. They’re deep in the Central Division, Western Conference, and in the NHL as a whole ranking 19th overall in the NHL.
If the Predators want to appease their fans, make the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season, and have a chance of bringing home the coveted Stanley Cup, things are going to have to change, and they have to change fast.
They are running out of time in this grueling season if they want to keep the playoff streak alive.
Lets see how they do during the next quarter of the season and see if they can improve their grades. Getting back to the basics and getting pucks to the net is how they will accomplish it.