3 reasons the Nashville Predators will struggle in Round 1 of the NHL Playoffs
The Nashville Predators may have punched a spot into the NHL Playoffs, but they didn’t do so because they were one of the league’s most consistent teams.
The Nashville Predators may have excited their fan base with an unprecedented run to the NHL Playoffs. While it was a feel-good story in Tennessee this season, this is a team with numerous flaws and a group that could be “one and done” if they continue the inconsistencies that plagued them in April.
But we also know how hot the Predators can get, evidenced by none other than what was an 18-game points streak that served as the catalyst for launching them into the postseason. During the streak, Nashville proved they can beat anyone, but getting the best of a team like the Vancouver Canucks, a group that was far more consistent sans a so-so February, could be a different story.
It’s worth mentioning Nashville finished just 0-3-0 against Vancouver during the season and scored six goals in the process. They allowed 13 against this high-scoring team, and that trend could continue into the playoffs. Let’s talk about three reasons why Nashville’s struggles could continue against the Canucks, starting with their consistency issues.
Consistency was an issue for the Preds all year long
Consistency haunted Nashville from the moment their season commenced on October 10th, and they started the season just 5-10-0. Then there were times when they looked like a legit playoff team, going 13-3--0 between November 18th and December 16th, before they fell to a meager 8-10-2 record between December 19th and January 31st.
Then came their 17-2-2 mark that started on February 10th vs. the Arizona Coyotes and didn’t end until those same Coyotes beat them 8-4 on March 28th. They finished the season with an uninspiring 4-5-1 record, once again hinting that struggles were on the horizon.
If the Predators can at least display some consistency, maybe they’ll go places in the 2024 playoffs, but right now, that doesn’t look like the case, especially if one particular player struggles.
Juuse Saros hasn’t played like a franchise goaltender
Juuse Saros was supposed to be one of the NHL’s premier goaltenders, but he hasn’t played that way often in 2023-24. While it’s never fair to entirely blame a goaltender for their struggles since the blue line and hesitancy from some forwards to play sound defense often factor into inconsistencies in the crease, Saros is the type of netminder who we should count on to make saves in key moments.
Judging from his basic stats, that hasn’t happened, as he finished the year with just a 0.906 save percentage, a 2.86 GAA, a 0.547 quality starts percentage, and three shutouts. These aren’t the worst numbers, but Saros’ overall standards should be better than this.
This is a goaltender who finished in the top-six for the Vezina between 2021 and 2023. He hasn’t logged a quality starts percentage under 0.600 since 2018-19, and both his save percentage and GAA are the worst marks of his career in seasons that he’s played in 21 or more games.
Vancouver is one of the last teams Saros needs to struggle against; if he and the Preds don’t bring their best game early, they’re either losing this series or “winning ugly.” The upside is that we know few will beat this team if they play the way they did throughout most of February and March, and Preds fans can only hope that will be the case.
Nashville is playing arguably the West’s most complete hockey team
The Canucks may have finished second to the Dallas Stars in 2023-24, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t a more complete hockey team. Vancouver was one of the highest-scoring teams for most of the season and they still finished tied in seventh place in goals scored and fifth in goals allowed, indicating they may even be more complete than the Stars.
Thatcher Demko is a surefire Vezina candidate, and he was far more consistent than Jake Oettinger, Igor Shesterkin, and others, with perhaps only Connor Hellebuyck and Sergei Bobrovsky sitting on a higher rung.
Then there are the scorers for this strong Canucks team, led by J.T. Miller, who put up 103 points and found the net 37 times. Brock Boeser joined the 40-goal club this season with 73 points, while Elias Pettersson is entering his prime with 34 goals and 89 points.
Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek are among the best two-way defensemen in the NHL, and the Canucks also have a pair of stay-at-home blueliners in Tyler Myers and Ian Cole, who always seem to be getting in front of shots. Nashville deserves to be in the playoffs, and sure, they can beat Vancouver, but it will take a lot for this team to overcome the odds.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)