It would take a large climb within the standings for the Nashville Predators to make the Stanley Cup playoffs.
As they journey to Calgary to face the Flames on Saturday, the Predators sit 13 factors behind the tempo for a ticket to the second season. Nevertheless, after incomes a 3-0 victory over the Vancouver Canucks — who at the moment are within the Western Convention’s second wild-card place — the Predators are hoping the calendar flip is the start of a brand new period this season.
“Undefeated in 2025,” stated ahead Steven Stamkos, who opened the scoring in Friday’s victory. “It was a type of video games the place perhaps we did not essentially have our greatest early. … Good groups discover methods to win when it is not essentially their finest. It is a powerful league to win in each evening, so perhaps we will construct off that.”
The Predators have two extra video games earlier than reaching their halfway level within the season and are effectively conscious how they’ve fallen wanting expectations up to now. For instance, they’ve solely 4 highway victories this season (4-13-4), two of them in Vancouver.
Nevertheless, this can be a membership that went on a torrid 16-0-2 run final season and vaulted into the playoffs.
“It’s a must to construct off one thing,” Stamkos stated. “And at this level, with the place we’re within the standings, clearly we’d like factors. And what do you need to lose, actually? I imply, let’s go on the market and never play scared to lose. Let’s exit and attempt to win.”
Extra performances akin to Friday’s victory will give them an opportunity.
“We did the issues that make us a great group,” coach Andrew Brunette stated. “We had some success and we had some alternatives offensively.”
The Flames are coming off a disappointing 5-3 loss to the Utah Hockey Membership on Thursday wherein they surrendered a 3-2 lead going into the third interval.
It is the primary time Calgary has misplaced in regulation when main after two intervals this season.
“We undoubtedly should be taught from it,” ahead Ryan Lomberg stated. “We’re on the level within the season the place we need to push for the playoffs, so you possibly can’t be buying and selling wins and losses each evening. We have got to know that even after we do not convey our greatest, we have got to discover a strategy to win that recreation.”
The Flames have misplaced two of three video games to fall out of a playoff place, and the frustration within the defeat couldn’t be missed.
“The road’s so onerous to stroll, it is simple to go on both aspect of it,” ahead Blake Coleman stated. “I would relatively have 20 (indignant) guys who care, than 20 guys which are tucking their tail between their legs and never concerned within the recreation.”
Scoring has been a difficulty all season for the Flames, and so has their penalty kill, which has surrendered at the least one opposition power-play purpose in 5 consecutive video games and is twenty ninth within the league with a 71.7 % kill price.
“There are stretches of it the place I really feel like we have labored higher as a unit, it is simply breakdowns,” coach Ryan Huska stated after apply on Friday. “I really feel like we’re getting higher. The numbers that we take a look at are beginning to present it, the numbers that everyone sees will not be. We’re nonetheless giving up targets, and on the finish of the day, it is obtained to cease targets from going within the internet.”
–Area Degree Media