Nashville Predators pull off upset of the season, take down the mighty Avalanche on their home ice

Very few gave the wildcard hopeful Nashville Predators a chance to take down the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night on the road, let alone do it in regulation. Something no other team has done this season.

The Predators are the first team, now over halfway into the regular season, to defeat the NHL-leading Avalanche on their home ice in regulation. And they did it convincing fashion by a 7-3 final score and a Ryan O'Reilly hat trick. A hard-earned road win in a game they never trailed in.

Ryan O'Reilly takes over with the hat trick, Filip Forsberg and Roman Josi tally three points, Juuse Saros with 39 saves

O'Reilly was originally drafted by the Avalanche back in 2009 as the 33rd overall pick early in the 2nd round. It's his seventh career hat trick in the NHL and his third as a member of the Nashville Predators.

For the Predators, they just keep inching closer and closer to actually moving into one of the two wildcard spots that are both up for grabs. After Friday's action, the Predators are one point behind the second wildcard spot held by the San Jose Sharks, and two points behind the first wildcard spot held by the Utah Mammoth.

This has been an unexpected run by the Predators and everyone has been wondering just how long they can keep this up. They've been on this full season turnaround going back to the start of December, including two wins now over the Avalanche.

In fact, going back to a November 26th win over the Detroit Red Wings, Nashville has avoided stringing together multiple losses. They were coming out of the Global Series and were on a three-game losing streak, with the season looking like another lost cause and heading towards a fire sale at the trade deadline eventually.

O'Reilly has been the subject of trade rumors all season, and his trade value is soaring right now. But with the Predators flipping the script and showing playoff potential, it would be a bold move for GM Barry Trotz to ship him out of Nashville now.

This game was impressive by the Predators because the Avalanche kept punching back, and you were just waiting for the Predators to fold to the pressure. But as they've shown over the past month and a half, they're capable of going toe-to-toe with literally the best of them.

Twice in the first period the Predators took the lead, only for the Avalanche to respond with the tying goal. Going into the first intermission, you were just expecting the Avalanche to eventually seize control. The middle frame usually tells you how the game is going to shape up.

However, O'Reillly capped off his hat trick at 13:01 of the second period to put the Predators back ahead by one goal. Then the momentum really swung towards the Predators by taking the two-goal lead on a pretty snipe of a shot on the rush by Michael Bunting late in the second period.

Even with this two-goal lead, the Avalanche have the elite skill and playmakers to easily make that up in the third period. They did make it 4-3 at just 1:09 of the third period, giving them plenty of time to breka the hearts of Predators fans everywhere and steal this one back on home ice.

The Predators held the Avalanche to only 10 shots on net in the final frame, making Juuse Saros' life a little easier compared to the first two periods facing a combined 32 shots. Saros would finish the game with 39 saves, which ties a season high from earlier in the season when the Predators beat the Avalanche in the shootout in Nashville.

Filip Forsberg also finally found the back of the net again, adding a huge power play goal to make it 5-3 in favor of Nashville at 15:13, completing his three-point night. Then it was empty net goals by Steven Stamkos and Michael McCarron to lock down the enormous two points on the road to begin a back-to-back against current division leaders. Next up, the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday.