The Nashville Predators extended their winning streak to a season-high seven games with a 6-1 win over the Minnesota Wild at Bridgestone Arena on Thursday.
Six different Nashville skaters scored and Juuse Saros made 33 saves in goal as the Predators gained important ground in the Western Conference playoff race, where they currently sit in the second wild card spot with a seven-point advantage over the Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues and Seattle Kraken.
“I think we’re playing a pretty solid brand of hockey right now,” Filip Forsberg said. “The first period was good, the second period maybe got away from us a little bit with a lot of penalties. But in the third, everybody steps up. Guys that might not have played a ton in the second with all the penalties come out and play phenomenal. Obviously, we shut them down completely in the third. That’s something we’ve got to keep doing.”
The Predators gave up the first goal of the game for the first time since their winning streak began but trailed for just 49 seconds in the first period before Yakov Trenin netted the equalizer, followed by a Cole Smith goal just eight seconds later.
“It was an emotional game,” Predators head coach Andrew Brunette said. “It had a little bit of everything in it. I thought the equalizing goal at 1-1 was a huge moment in the game. I liked our composure. I think especially in the second period, there were times when things were getting a little testy. And I loved our third again, showing a little maturity and closing a game out. So, lots of good there for sure.”
Predators’ Big Guns Lead the Way
The Predators have benefited from some much-needed depth scoring as of late, including back-to-back goals from Smith and Yakov Trenin just eight seconds apart in the first period against Minnesota. Still, it’s Nashville’s veteran core that has been leading the charge on offense.
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Forsberg gave the Predators a 3-1 lead over the Wild at 17:55 of the second period on a wrist shot from the top of the right circle on the power play. It was his team-leading 29th goal of the season, extending his point streak to four games (three goals, three assists).
Roman Josi had a goal and two assists against Minnesota for his second consecutive three-point game. The Predators’ captain extended his point streak to four games (four goals, three assists) with an assist on Trenin’s goal and earned his 15th multi-point game of the season with a helper on Forsberg’s power-play tally. In 21 games since Jan. 9, Josi’s seven goals, 22 assists and 29 points rank first among NHL defensemen in all three categories.
“We’re playing really fast,” Josi said. “Especially as [defensemen], you’re getting pucks up quickly. I think for me, I had to figure out kind of a different way to create offense. I think we’re all getting more comfortable with it. It’s a lot of fun to play in this system when we’re all connected like that.”
Colton Sissons and Gustav Nyquist also recorded two assists apiece on Thursday, with the latter extending his point streak to four games (three goals, four assists).
Predators Keep Their Composure
Tempers flared in the highly physical matchup, leading to several post-whistle scrums. Both teams combined for 26 penalty minutes in the second period alone.
“Both teams were trying to make the other team take a penalty,” Josi said. “I thought we did a good job of staying calm.”
Brunette was impressed with his team’s maturity and level-headedness despite the Wild’s best efforts to disrupt their composure.
“We are a gritty group,” Brunette said. “We have guys that have been battle-tested, and it got a little emotional, and you’re on the ledge of keeping your composure. I thought we did a good job and I really liked the response in the third period, where we just played hockey and stayed out of the shenanigans that were going on a little bit. We just played our game and got back to our game, because it’s going to be like this the rest of the season.”
Tensions escalated in the second period, including a fight between Jeremy Lauzon and Jake Middleton, but the Predators responded with a dominant third in which they scored three goals to complete the 6-1 rout.
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“It was huge, and these are playoff-type games,” Josi said. “There’s a lot on the line for both teams, and I loved the way we played. We played aggressively. Guys stepped up, guys like [Lauzon] who’ve been doing it all year. All the guys, [Michael McCarron], that whole line, just the way they step up for us as teammates. I felt like they got a little frustrated there in the second and it was just kind of a turning point. So, those guys have been doing that all year and it’s huge.”
Predators Stick to Their Identity
The more physical the game got, the more it tilted in Nashville’s favor. The Predators’ ‘Identity Line’ of Smith, McCarron and Kiefer Sherwood once again set the tone for the rest of the team with their aggression and tenacity in the face of provocation.
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“We welcome that kind of game, especially our line,” Smith said. “That’s kind of what our identity is. When push comes to shove, it’s a fun game out there, and at that time of the game, it’s what we needed.”
The Predators’ win streak is their fifth such streak of seven or more games in franchise history and their first since Dec. 4-17, 2021 (7-0-0). They will face another tough challenge against a Central Division opponent in the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday (March 2) as they look to firm up their spot in the playoffs, and they will need to play with the same relentlessness and composure that they did on Thursday against Minnesota.
“It’s going to get emotional,” Brunette said of the final stretch of regular season games. “It’s going to be highs and lows and can we get back to our game and contain our composure in those key moments.”
