NASHVILLE — It's funny how a few games can change
perceptions — especially when those games occur in the playoffs.
No longer do the Nashville Predators look like the nice little team that would
qualify for the postseason and go out quietly in the first round. Yes, they
have had promising regular seasons in the past, but this very promising campaign
is unique in that it comes following a year in which the Predators won a
playoff round.
In six games last season against Anaheim in the first round, Nashville
vanquished the memory of its five previous unsuccessful forays into the
postseason. That sort of paints this season more in terms of the realm of the
possible, as opposed to the impossible.
Whereas beating the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2010 playoffs seemed a Herculean
task, beating the same team in 2012 would seem almost probable. For the third
time in 24 days on Tuesday, the Predators defeated their Central Division
rivals, who have most of their core players intact from the '10 team that won
the Stanley Cup. Nashville is 3-1 against Chicago this season.
St. Louis also does not seem such an impossible postseason opponent for
Nashville, seeing as the Predators have had more recent playoff success than
the young Blues. St. Louis ranks fourth in the NHL with 75 points, but
Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne has defeated the Blues in all four meetings this
season. After the most recent game, the Blues were peppered with questions
about whether Rinne had "gotten inside their heads."
At present, only four NHL teams have more points than Nashville's 72. The Preds
have more points than any team in the Eastern Conference except for the New
York Rangers (80). It's almost easier to count which teams the Predators might
not match up well against in a possible first-round series than the ones they
don't.
Beating the Red Wings has always proven sort of the Holy Grail for Nashville,
whether in the playoffs or in the regular season. Friday's game in Detroit at
Joe Louis Arena, where the Red Wings won for the 21st consecutive time on
Tuesday to set an NHL record, should have an incredible intensity.
Ending that streak could lend even more credence to Nashville as a potential
playoff dark horse, should the Preds be able to pull it off. They are 1-2 so
far against the Red Wings, with two games remaining at Joe Louis Arena. Winning
that season series will not be easy.
Vancouver, which ended Nashville's postseason dreams last year in six tightly
played games, also would be a tough potential playoff opponent. Nashville is
1-1-1 this season against the Canucks, having given up an uncharacteristic 13
goals in regulation and overtime play.
Other than those two Western Conference powers, the Predators would have to
like their chances against the rest of the field. At the rate they're going,
they won't have to match up with Detroit or Vancouver in the first round. While
coach Barry Trotz and his players would be loath to say it, a seventh playoff
berth in eight seasons seems a fairly sure thing.
Rinne, second in the league in wins at 31, took no pleasure after Tuesday's 3-2
win over Chicago in helping to continue to derail what had once been a bright
Blackhawks' season. He was asked if he felt bad for the Blackhawks, who have
lost nine in a row after owning the league's best record on Jan. 20.
"No, you can't," Rinne said. "We still have a tough road ahead
of us. I think that's the only thing I'm worried about is our own
destiny."
Nonetheless, the Predators would have to pull a colossal collapse to fail to
qualify for the playoffs. If they go .500 the rest of the way in points per
game, say 10-10-5 for 25 out of a possible 50 points, then ninth-place Calgary,
with 62 points, would have to go 17-7-1 for 35 points the rest of the way just
to tie Nashville. That's a points percentage of .70 per game for a Flames team
that has averaged .54 points through their first 57 games this season — an
unlikely uptick.
The Predators' relative cushion in terms of making the playoffs will make
general manager David Poile's posture fairly easy come the trade deadline in
less than two weeks. It's hard to imagine his being anything other than a
buyer, which makes it fun for fans to kick around which players the Preds might
add.
Perhaps Tampa Bay's Pavel Kubina, Montreal's Hal Gill, Carolina's Bryan Allen and
Jaroslav Spacek or Colorado's Shane O'Brien on defense. Maybe Tampa Bay's Ryan
Malone, Washington's Alexander Semin or — could it be — Anaheim's Teemu
Selanne at forward?
Maybe Selanne would recall how the Predators eliminated his Ducks last season
in those six games and agrees to waive his no-trade clause to come to Nashville.
Sometimes just a few games can change perceptions, especially in this promising
season.
