The Nashville Predators have been on the hunt for a postseason berth for weeks, playing like a team on a mission. They did the deed on Tuesday night at home versus the Winnipeg Jets by forcing the contest to overtime tied 3-3. That’s right, Nashville is back in the playoffs after missing them in 2022-23.
All the Predators required was a single point. But that was easier said than done, what with a strong Jets side paying them a visit. Winnipeg still has hopes of claiming the Central Division and has found momentum with key victories lately. Nashville came out on fire, scoring first in the opening stanza through Tommy Novak. Winnipeg had other plans, firing back three times before the foes retreated to the locker rooms.
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A scoreless second period was followed by the all-important third during which Ryan O’Reilly and Spencer Stastney came to the rescue barely two minutes apart. In fact, it was only Stastney’s second marker of the campaign in 18 games. What a time to score, however. Nashville has been one of the most dangerous clubs down the stretch and will be a handful for whoever faces them in the opening round of the playoffs.
