Amid a season that can only be described as resurgent and defiant, the Nashville Predators are in the middle of a franchise-record 18-game point streak, catapulting themselves from squarely outside of the playoff picture as of early February to the number one wild-card spot in the Western Conference. This historic run is a testament to the tenacious spirit of a team reborn from its own ashes and who are now looking to make a run in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Predators’ Defensive Improvement
A crucial part of the Predators’ recent success has been star defenseman Roman Josi’s incredible play. Josi has been pivotal for the the defensive unit’s ability to overcome some significant injuries, including to Jeremy Lauzon, Dante Fabbro, Alex Carrier, and Spencer Stastney over the last few weeks. Even with these recent injuries, the Predators have been able to weather the storm thanks to Milwaukee Admiral’s callup Marc Del Gaizo and Tyson Barrie, who had been a healthy scratch for much of the season.
The Predators have had little to no drop-off in terms of defensive output and quality of play despite having three of their regular defensemen injured in the span of just a few weeks. With Fabbro and Lauzon out of the lineup, Stastney was filling in quite nicely, as evidenced by his plus-7 rating in just 10games with the Preds this season. With Stastney suffering an upper-body injury on March 13, Del Gaizo has stepped up in his absence and contributed well , recording three assists in nine games and a plus-2 rating.
It looks like the Predator’s defensive core is finally getting healthy just in time for the end of the season and the playoffs, with Lauzon returning to the lineup and Fabbro now taking part in team practices and voluntary skates. When this defensive unit is healthy, they are one of the most underrated and experienced groups in the NHL and will be a solid core come playoff time.
Predators’ Offensive Potency
In addition to Roman Josi stepping up for the team over this 18-game point streak, the Predators’ first line, led by Filip Forsberg, Ryan O’Reilly, and Gustav Nyquist, has been one of the top lines in the NHL and has just been getting better as the season goes on. The Predator’s first line ranks 2nd in the NHL in expected goals and 10th in expected goals per 60 minutes for lines with 400-plus minutes played together this season.
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