The Nashville Predators have finally gotten a win in their 2024-25 campaign, defeating the Boston Bruins 4-0 at home on Tuesday night. It was a solid performance on offense, defense, and in goal, and it was much needed after an unacceptable 0-5-0 start to the season.
The weight that was finding a way to get that first win is off of their shoulders, and the Predators can play with that much more confidence as a result. And they have a huge chance to build on that confidence and gain serious momentum with how their weekend schedule is looking.
They face two of the worst teams in the league in the Chicago Blackhawks and Columbus Blue Jackets, and beating them would put the team on a three-game winning streak. The Predators are in an advantageous situation here, but are under lots of pressure due to playing with high expectations, and also the importance of getting these wins with a tough few weeks coming up.
Nashville Predators cannot afford to come up short in two very winnable games
The games this weekend are back to back, with one of them being on the road and the other being at home. The Predators are in Chicago tonight, while they return to Nashville tomorrow when the Blue Jackets are in town.
Back to back's can be difficult with how tired they can make players, but it hardly matters in this situation for the Predators. The reality is that when you play teams you are supposedly better than, you need to beat them, and the task will be no different this weekend.
If they get it done as everyone expects, things very well could be looking up when they were miserable just days ago. The Predators will have won three straight games, which would make up some ground in the standings and potentially indicate that they are finding their way as a team.
It really does not matter who you are playing, when you can stack three wins, you are feeling good about yourself, and people start to notice you getting hot. Of course, the Predators cannot just do it by the skin of their teeth, but as long as they do their job and play quality hockey, people will be much more optimistic about them meeting expectations.
But if the Predators squander this golden opportunity, they might be in serious trouble in more ways than just one. First of all and most obviously, they will have lost against one or two, at least expected, bottom feeders, and that will make us ask a lot more questions about the state of the team.
Secondly, they have a tough early season stretch of games that is nowhere near over, and it includes 3 more games spread out among last year's Stanley Cup finalists. These are two of the easiest games within that stretch by far, so they need to win badly, especially since they have already lost three of what should have been their easier games.
The Predators need to win two of two contests here, maybe getting three of four points would not be terrible, but it would hurt to come out anything less than perfect here. With how much to gain there is even more to lose, and with their season starting out shaky, the last thing they need is more salt rubbed on the wound.