As some of the top teams in the league start snatching up playoff spots, some teams continue to fight to get into the postseason.
However, there is one team that is in the Wild Card conversation that is beginning to look like a tough out.
After coming into the 2023-24 season with limited expectations, the Nashville Predators have really turned their game around in recent months, very similar to their second-half surge in the COVID-shortened 2021 season.
Thanks to experienced stars like captain Roman Josi and Ryan O’Reilly, as well as a hot goaltender in Juuse Saros, the Predators went from a team that was going to sell at the deadline to playoff contenders. With a franchise-record 18-game point streak, and wins in six straight games, Nashville has a solid grip on the first Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, leading the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights, who they beat on Tuesday night, by four points.
On Wednesday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, former NHLer Luke Gazdic joined Frank Seravalli and Carter Hutton to explain why Smashville is going to be a force to be reckoned with come playoff time.
Luke Gazdic: I’m starting to buy in. Part of it is Filip Forsberg, probably having one of the quietest 40-goal productive seasons that I’ve seen. Bringing in O’Reilly and [Luke] Schenn at the beginning of the year was very calculated move by Barry Trotz…Roman Josi is an absolute stud. This is just a team that I would not want to see in the first round. I don’t know if this is bold playoff predictions or takes, but they might be rearing toward a first-round knock-off here of a pretty top seed if they get in.
To rattle off a couple in a row in the NHL is a tough thing, to get points in 18 straight…it is really impressive, what they’ve done.
You can watch the entire segment, and full episode here…
More must-reads: