The Nashville Predators went undefeated on a road trip of at least five games for the first time in franchise history, but the last 10 days have been a critical stretch for the team in more ways than one.
They shook off an embarrassing 9-2 home loss to the Dallas Stars, won five straight games on the road (including three against current playoff teams), outscored opponents 22-10, had consistent secondary scoring and took control of the second Western Conference wild card spot for the first time since January.
Predators Find Their Depth
In a season that has been plagued by inconsistency, particularly on offense, the Predators finally had consistent depth scoring during the five-game road trip. Head coach Andrew Brunette stuck with the same forward line combinations for all five games, giving each a more balanced share of ice time.
As a result, the Predators had 15 different goal scorers throughout the trip: Luke Evangelista, Filip Forsberg, Ryan O’Reilly, Luke Schenn, Colton Sissons, Cody Glass, Tommy Novak, Gustav Nyquist, Cole Smith, Mark Jankowski, Jeremy Lauzon, Yakov Trenin, Kiefer Sherwood, Michael McCarron and Roman Josi.
“We’re getting some secondary scoring,” Brunette said following Sunday’s win over the Anaheim Ducks. “The big line has been great all year, and [Forsberg] scored a big goal tonight. But it’s nice to see those other lines starting to come a little bit.”
Predators’ ‘Big Line’ is Still Big
The “big line” in question is Nashville’s top line of Forsberg, O’Reilly and Nyquist, which has been one of the most productive trios in the NHL this season according to MoneyPuck.com with 25.6 expected goals for.
Forsberg scored his 27th goal of the season on Feb. 24 at the San Jose Sharks to pass David Legwand (566 points in 956 games played) and move into second place on the franchise’s all-time scoring list. He now has 570 points in 675 career games.
“It’s cool,” Forsberg said. “I think it’s something that you’ll look back on when you’re gray and old and then obviously think a little bit more about. I was fortunate enough to play with [Legwand] for a little bit at the start of my career, so it’s cool.”
With six points (three goals, three assists) during the road trip, Forsberg leads the Predators with 59 points in 59 games this season. Nyquist, Forsberg’s linemate who scored into an empty net three times on the road trip, also has five points (three goals, two assists) in his last five games and is fourth among Predators skaters with 46 points in 59 games.
Predators’ Fourth Line Steps Up
Nashville’s fourth line of Smith, McCarron and Sherwood combined for nine points (four goals, five assists) during the road trip. They each recorded one game-winning goal apiece on the trip: Smith on Feb. 20 at the Vegas Golden Knights, Sherwood on Feb. 24 at San Jose and McCarron on Feb. 25 at Anaheim.
Related: Depth Scoring Propels Predators to Win Over Golden Knights
McCarron’s goal in Anaheim was his first game-winner of the season, and he established a new career high in goals with eight. He had three points (one goal, two assists) over the five-game span, while Sherwood had five points (two goals, three assists) in as many games.
“They’ve been great, and they’ve been our identity here through this trip,” Brunette said. “They’re relentless, they’re on pucks, they’re long, they’re fast and they have some skill. I think they set the tone on a lot of our games on this trip, and it’s so important for our group.”
What About Egor Afanasyev?
A conspicuous absence during the Predators’ five-game sweep was 23-year-old Egor Afanasyev, who did not play a single game during the road trip and has only made two appearances for Nashville since being recalled from the American Hockey League’s Milwaukee Admirals on Feb. 12.
Related: Predators’ Afanasyev is Embracing the ‘Learning Curve’ at the NHL Level
Afanasyev had been enjoying the best statistical season of his AHL tenure at the time of his call-up, establishing career highs in goals (21) and points (42) and matching his personal-best mark in assists (21). During the first 14 games of the Admirals’ franchise-record win streak, which came to an end at 19 games with a 4-2 loss to the Rockford IceHogs on Sunday, Afanasyev recorded 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists), including seven multi-point efforts.
The Predators reassigned Afanasyev to Milwaukee on Monday, the day after they returned from the trip, in a transaction that seemed to be a long time coming – and perhaps several days too late. That one of Nashville’s top forward prospects was collecting dust on the Predators’ bench when he could have been making significant offensive contributions in Milwaukee is puzzling, to say the least.
Trade Deadline Implications
As badly as this team needed to find its secondary scoring and rebound from tough back-to-back losses at home, the Predators’ five-game road sweep could not have come at a worse time. General manager Barry Trotz told Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek last month that the team’s trade deadline strategy would be almost entirely dependent on where the team is in the playoff standings by the time the March 8 deadline rolled around. Trotz told Marek that he would “let the players decide” how he approaches the deadline based on their play during the month of February.
Related: Predators News & Rumors: Smith, Pärssinen & More
The Predators proceeded to limp into the All-Star Break with five losses in six games and failed to earn a regulation win in their three home games following the break, making it seemingly inevitable that they would become sellers at the deadline. However, their success on the recent road trip launched them back into playoff contention and made Trotz’s trade strategy significantly murkier.
"If we're right there at the deadline, I have no problem adding something…"#Preds GM Barry Trotz on how his team's performance will dictate their approach to the trade deadline with @JeffMarek.
— Sportsnet 590 The FAN (@FAN590) January 23, 2024
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While the hope was that the pivotal stretch of games would provide some clarity on this team’s direction, it has done the opposite. With 11 days remaining before the March 8 deadline, the Predators now appear less likely to make any splashy moves in the trade market before the end of the season.
“I think we were really playing for each other through this stretch of games, and it was a really gutsy effort,” Brunette said. “We’re growing as a group and we’re growing together. It was a good trip, and we go home and have a tough week ahead.”
Playoff Implications
While the five-game road sweep propelled Nashville back into a playoff spot, it’s important not to overreact to a small sample size. The Predators sit precariously in the second wild card spot with 66 points, with Central Division rivals Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues trailing just four points behind.
Related: Predators Need to Stop Operating Like a Playoff Team
The Predators will now play five straight games at home, where they have an abysmal 14-15-0 record so far this season. Whether they can keep the momentum going from the road trip – specifically against opponents like the Ottawa Senators, Wild, Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres, who are not currently in playoff spots – will go a long way in determining whether these last five games have been a turning point or simply a fluke.
Trotz and Brunette undoubtedly have their sights set on the playoffs, as the first-year general manager and head coach look to establish a winning culture in Nashville. Still, the unpredictability of the next stretch of games indicates that this isn’t a serious playoff team – and it shouldn’t operate like one. While a large-scale sell-off at the trade deadline may now be less likely than it was before the road trip, the team’s primary focus down the stretch should be setting themselves up for success in the next several years more so than in the current one.
