From Bottom to Near the Top, the Predators Keep Rising in the Division Standings
The Predators will need to maintain their current hot streak in order to stay up with Denver, Winnipeg, Dallas, and Colorado even after all of their recent success since moving up from last place in November. We ought to witness some separation eventually. The Predators have not yet played Dallas, but they have split two games with Winnipeg and defeated Colorado in their lone encounter.
The straightforward query is: Will the Predators return to Earth in the future, or do they belong in this trio of teams competing for the top division spot?
The Predators are improving their defensive play and goaltending, both of which are astounding.
After defeating the Washington Capitals on Saturday and winning their second straight against Eastern Conference opponents, the Predators are currently on a four-game winning streak. They defeated the Carolina Hurricanes in a thrilling, high-scoring overtime match.
The fact that Juuse Saros is playing so well at the moment gives me a lot of hope that the Predators are a legitimate contender in the Central Division. Perhaps the best we’ve seen of him in this extended period of time during his NHL career.
Saros’ run of outstanding goalkeeping performance is directly related to the Predators’ winning ways since they prevailed in a matchup between the bottom two teams on November 18. Before ending the run of losses with a 26-save victory over the Avalanche, Saros had lost five straight starts.
Saros has since won 10 of his previous 11 starts, giving up just one goal in three of those starts. When comparing Dallas, Colorado, or Winnipeg side by side, this is the ultimate weapon that tips the scales in favor of Winnipeg.
The penalty kill, more so than the power play, is where the special teams continue to make progress. Although the Predators did allow Washington to score on a 5-on-3 last night, they are still improving greatly in this area overall. To compete with the best teams in the division, you’ll need that.
In order to stay competitive with the rest of the NHL, Trotz realized during the offseason that this team needed to focus more on speed. His decision-making is yielding very positive results far sooner than any of us could have conceivably predicted. Ryan O’Reilly is, in my opinion, the key to the Predators’ success in getting everything going so quickly. The Predators are once again a very ordinary and plain team without him in the mix. Everything around him is held together by him.
Reliable, experienced leadership is being provided to predators in addition to youthful talent.
The Predators have a fantastic mix of veterans and young players, as I mentioned before the season. In order to provide forwards with some on-ice leadership, general manager Barry Trotz felt that it was necessary to add Ryan O’Reilly and Gustav Nyquist, without sacrificing the team’s ability to advance with a younger and faster lineup.
The outcomes of having a balanced lineup are becoming increasingly evident. It’s not just Flip Forsberg, even though he’s having an incredible season thus far. It’s really everybody, which is why the Predators are competitive against nearly every team in the NHL.
Although the Predators aren’t statistically superior to Colorado or Dallas, it makes sense that those two would be the favorites in a seven-game series. About Winnipeg, I don’t feel the same way. In a “do or die” scenario, I could see that going to seven games to determine the winner.
I can’t wait to watch the Predators and Stars play in their inaugural season on December 23. For the Predators, this will be the ultimate measuring game. In addition to winning the Central Division, Dallas continues to be my overwhelming favorite to win the Western Conference and possibly even the Stanley Cup. Watching how the Predators manage the talented Stars roster interests me.
In their one and only meeting, the Predators defeated the Avalanche with a fierce comeback in November. They don’t cross paths again until the first week of March, which is immediately preceding the trade deadline.April 9 in Nashville is the Predators’ final regular season game against the Jets, but it won’t happen until almost the end of the campaign.
Not every analytics model has been taken in by the aggressive Predators just yet. The Predators are only projected by Money Puck to have a 37 percent chance of making the playoffs and a 14 percent chance of going to the second round. someplace that they haven’t visited since 2018.
Greg Amundsen, creator of “Puck Luck Analytics” currently has the Predators outperforming his preseason projectionsย by a significant margin. As of December 17, his projections show the Predators finishing with 92 points and coming up ultimately behind Colorado, Winnipeg and Dallas.
It’s critical to always keep in mind that losing streaks are probably inevitable. An 82-game grind awaits you. With their current style of play, the Predators will be able to avoid the protracted losing streaks that can end your season, provided they continue to win loose puck battles and be the more aggressive skating team.
The Predators are ahead of schedule, but there’s still a lot of hockey to be played. You’re hoping they can stay healthy and continue to make progress in important areas.