Nashville Predators Take Down Chicago: Three Difference-Makers in Shootout Win
By Chad Minton
Ryan O'Reilly Continues to be the Leader on the Ice for Preds
Another game from Ryan O'Reilly where he steps up on the Predators power play, shows in-game leadership, and ultimately helps deliver the final blow with a nifty shootout goal.
O'Reilly has 12 goals on the season, only trailing Forsberg for the team lead. In this game against the Blackhawks, he ends up leading the team in Expected Goals and wins nine faceoffs
In high pressure situations where a win is hanging in the balance, having a battle tested veteran like O'Reilly is a must. He's proving to be so invaluable to the Predators in these situations. He's just a wise player who is basically an extension of the head coach while he's on the ice.
O'Reilly is right on pace to finish right at or even beat his career high in points for a season. He's on pace for 72 points, with his NHL career high being 77 point in 2018-19, the year he won the Conn Smythe and hoisted the first Stanley Cup for the St. Louis Blues.
The Stanley Cup is far fetched for this Predators team in 2024, but having O'Reilly to go to battle with in these close games is going to continue to pay dividends and lead to more wins.