The Nashville Predators' recent six-game winning streak has coincided with an injury to Jonathan Marchessault, who has been out of the lineup since Halloween, and a healthy scratch of Nicolas Hague for the Tampa Bay Lightning win that started the streak. With Marchessault seemingly healthy and the veteran Hague needing a game at some point, Andrew Brunette faces an extremely tough decision.
In the NHL, keeping veterans like a recovering Marchessault out and Hague in the press box for six straight games is a bit of a surprise, but given the surprise of this run for the Predators, it's hard to imagine Brunette changing it up now. The forward lines have been clicking, with Vintali Pinchuk earning the right to stay in the lineup, and taking him out would be tough for the young player's confidence in the middle of this streak.
Unfortunately, Brunette will have to get those players back in the lineup at some point, which would satisfy their desire to play but create difficult discussions if things go south. The head coach seems okay with keeping things the same until the streak ends, but if it does end on Friday night against the Vegas Golden Knights, Sunday's game will loom large.
Andrew Brunette has to keep the Predators' lineup rolling
It is a no-brainer for Brunette to keep the lineup the same, and the head coach is likely thankful. Right now, the team is better off with the two veterans in the press box, and if the team were 3-3 over their last six, it'd be hard to justify keeping them out of the lineup. However, with the winning streak, he can chalk it up to riding the hot hand.
Hague was struggling before his healthy scratch, and Brunette did the right thing in giving him a night off, but not even the head coach could've predicted that his absence from the lineup would kickstart a six-game winning streak. It isn't as simple as taking him out and suddenly becoming the league's hottest team, but it can certainly feel that way with how the defense has been playing.
The 35-year-old Marchessault has also been a disappointment this year, tallying just five points in 14 games. If he could play lower in the lineup and be effective as an energy forward, it wouldn't be as worrisome, but his style of play means he has to produce points. When he's not, the team suffers, and when someone enters his spot who can do it better, you can see the results.
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