Barring a total collapse, the Nashville Predators are on track to finish second in the NHL’s Central Division again this year behind Detroit.
But playing second fiddle to one of the top teams in the NHL – for the fourth consecutive season – doesn’t mean the Preds will qualify for the playoffs.
After 73 games, the Preds’ won-lost-tied record was 36-29-8, good for 80 points. However, a playoff spot, which at one point seemed likely, is beginning to slip away. Nashville was just 4-6-0 in its last 10 games through mid-March.
If coach Barry Trotz’s prediction holds true that it’ll take 94 points to make post season play, the Preds are in jeopardy of not qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in three seasons.
With only nine games left in the regular season, Nashville trailed Vancouver (36-26-10, 82 points) in the race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. |
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| Nashville Predators center Rich Peverley (37) celebrates his goal against Detroit Red Wings goalie Chris Osgood (30) during the second period in Detroit, Saturday, March 15, 2008.
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Not only are the Preds battling the Canucks, they also have to fend off the pesky Phoenix Coyotes (36-30-5, 77 points), who won’t seem to go away.
If 94 points are required for a playoff berth, the Preds definitely have their work cut out for them. With 18 possible points up for grabs over the remaining nine games, would Nashville be able to hold onto that final spot? Would seven wins out of nine games be possible?
“It’s been a critical stretch run for us for a long time now,” says Nashville goaltender Dan Ellis, who had a 2.45 GAA and .918 save percentage through mid-March. “It’s especially critical because we’ve fallen a little bit behind. We need to battle back. We need to put a nice little streak together so that we’re not relying on other teams to lose in order for us to make the playoffs.”
If the Preds are to make a playoff push, it’ll take a total team effort. They’re going to especially need the top line of Jason Arnott (25 goals), J.P. Dumont (27 goals) and Alexander Radulov (24 goals) to step up and contribute. With center David Legwand temporarily out with a foot injury and forwards Martin Gelinas and Jed Ortmeyer lost for the season, it’s time for role players and replacements like Rich Peverley, who’s filling in for Legwand, to make names for themselves.
“I think its going to be everyone collectively getting it done,” says coach Barry Trotz. “We’re going to need our defensemen and goaltenders . . . just everybody pulling together because we’ve got a lot of key guys out. Whoever’s left in our locker room is just going to have to get it done.”
If Nashville qualifies for the postseason, it likely would do so as either the seventh or eighth seed in the Western Conference and would probably be matched up with the winner of the Pacific Division.
Most likely, that would be the San Jose Sharks, who have bounced the Preds from the first round of the postseason in five games the last two years.
As the Western Conference’s No. 1 team, Detroit will take on whoever claims the last playoff berth. Pick your poison: Detroit or San Jose? Nashville clearly matches up better against Detroit. The Preds were 3-2-1 against the Red Wings through mid-March, while they had yet to beat the Sharks in four tries. |
