The Nashville Predators, currently just a few percentage points away from securing the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference, carry a three-game winning streak, all achieved on the road, into Saturday night’s matchup against San Jose
Nashville and St. Louis both have 62 points going into Saturday’s games, but the Blues hold a higher position in the standings due to having played one fewer game than the Predators.
Nashville’s playoff prospects appeared grim following a devastating 9-2 defeat at home against the Dallas Stars on February 15th. The Predators were about to embark on a five-game road trip, beginning with a game against the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Vegas Golden Knights, in Las Vegas after opening in St. Louis on February 17th.
With a day off scheduled for Sunday, both players and staff of the Predators were eager to head to Las Vegas on Saturday night to attend the highly anticipated U2 concert at The Sphere on Sunday night. However, Coach Andrew Brunette and General Manager Barry Trotz vetoed those plans following the disappointing loss to the Stars at home.
Nashville has been undefeated since then. They started the trip with a 5-2 victory against St. Louis, followed by a 5-3 win over the Golden Knights on Tuesday, and then defeated the Los Angeles Kings, who currently hold the top wild-card spot in the West, with a score of 4-1 on Thursday.
“After the game against Dallas, we had a couple of meetings,” goaltender Juuse Saros commented after making 27 saves against the Kings. “We focused on staying committed to the details and doing the little things right. The last three games have shown consistency in our approach. We need to maintain this momentum and replicate our performance in the next game.”
The Predators will conclude the road trip with back-to-back games against the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks, who rank second and third lowest in the NHL standings, respectively. Therefore, completing a sweep of this crucial road trip is certainly within reach.
“It’s been the perfect response ever since,” Saros remarked, reflecting on the Dallas loss and the subsequent alteration of plans regarding the concert in Las Vegas. “We just need to maintain this momentum and focus.”
San Jose, who began the season with an 11-game losing streak (0-10-1), has shown improvement recently with a record of 5-4-1 in their last 10 games. However, they are coming off consecutive home losses to Columbus (4-3) and Vegas (4-0).
In the game against Vegas, Logan Thompson recorded his first shutout of the season, making 29 saves. Vegas quickly took a 3-0 lead in the first period with goals from Michael Amadio, William Karlsson, and Mason Morelli. Despite a strong start from the Sharks, including hitting the post twice in the opening minutes, they were unable to capitalize, and Amadio’s breakaway goal put Vegas ahead.
San Jose coach David Quinn expressed frustration, stating, “It’s just inexcusable. It can’t happen.” He highlighted the Sharks’ strong start before conceding multiple breakaway opportunities.
This game marks the second of three meetings between the two teams this season. In the first matchup on October 21st in Nashville, the Predators secured a 5-1 victory behind two goals from Tommy Novak and 31 saves by Saros.