Each year-end holiday season people start thinking about resolutions for the new year: Lose weight. Get in shape. Dump debt. Save more. And so on. For the Nashville Predators, it was simple: Stop squandering opportunities -- and get one or two points every night. The playoffs begin now. “Since Christmas, that’s been our motto,” says Nashville forward J.P. Dumont, who led the team with 18 goals as of mid-January. “We know that we put ourselves in that situation -- every game is playoff mode. That’s the kind of hockey we’re going to have to play through the end.” Beginning with a 1-0 shutout win in Dallas on New Year’s Eve, Nashville got off to a strong in 2008, going 6-2-2 and earning at least a point in eight contests.

Nashville Predators' Scott Nichol, second from left, celebrates with teammates Jerred Smithson (25), Dan Hamhuis (2) and Greg Zanon after scoring a short-handed goal against the St. Louis Blues in the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 19, 2008, in St. Louis. Nichol scored twice short-handed as the Predators beat the Blues 5-2. (AP Photo/Tom Gannam)

Nashville was in fourth place in the Central Division standings. Detroit had a commanding division lead with 74 points, trailed by Columbus, with 52 points, and Nashville, St. Louis and Chicago, each with 50 points. Had the playoffs begun in mid-January, the Preds would have been out of luck, in 12th place in the Western Conference. “It really doesn’t matter who we’re playing right now because from second to 15th everybody’s still in the ballgame,” says Nashville goalie Chris Mason, who was 3-1-1 in early January with a 0.99 goals-against average and .959 save percentage. “It is playoffs for all the teams that are jammed together; we realize that.”  Nashville took a step in the right direction when it picked up two points in a 5-2 win on the road to open a home-and-home series against St. Louis. The Preds were scheduled to return to Sommet Center to host the Blues on Jan. 21.

Nashville Predators left wing Steve Sullivan, pictured here in 2006, won't play this NHL season as he recovers from two back surgeries, the team has announced.

How they performed in late January and early February would go a long way toward determining whether Nashville will qualify for postseason play. The Predators were facing games with Colorado, Columbus and two against Phoenix, all of which were ahead of Nashville in the conference standings. 

“Every game is crucial for us,” says Dumont. “It doesn’t matter who we’re playing. We let too many games and too many points slip away from us. We have to make sure we get two points every night.”

Sullivan Update

Predators fans hoping to see forward Steve Sullivan back on the ice this season can forget about it. Sullivan has decided to continue rehabilitation on his back and focus on getting 100 percent healthy for the 2008-09 season.

“We decided to just get this thing right; get it fixed correctly and be ready for camp next year,” says Sullivan, who was injured almost a year ago against Montreal and missed the final 19 games last year.

Entering the 2007-08 campaign, Nashville was hopeful of getting a Sullivan back at some point.
 
“There’s no doubt. There’s never been any doubt,” Sullivan says about rumors that he may opt to retire. “I know there’s some naysayers that are saying I’ve been out for awhile and it’s just a matter of time before the ‘R’ word comes out. But you’re not going to hear it from me. I’m too confident in knowing that I can come back from this.”    

Nashville coach Barry Trotz says he feels Sullivan made the right decision for himself, his teammates, the organization and the fans. “The great thing is that Sully feels he’s going to be ready for training camp and I know we’ll be excited to have him back,” says Trotz. “We’ll be excited to have a healthy Steve Sullivan back in the lineup for sure.”

Sullivan scored 22 goals and racked up 38 assists for 60 points in only 57 games for the Preds last season.

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• When Nashville forward J.P. Dumont scored a first-period goal on Blues netminder Manny Legace Jan. 19 in St. Louis, he extended his points streak to 11 games and set a franchise record. The goal was Dumont’s 18th of the season. Steve Sullivan set the previous record at 10 consecutive games in 2006. He duplicated the feat in early 2007.      
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• Predators center Jerred Smithson skated in his 200th NHL game in a 5-2 loss to the defending Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks Jan. 7 at the Honda Center.
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• Barry Trotz coached his 700th game with the Nashville franchise on Jan. 13. Trotz is the only head coach in team history.