Hockey Tonkin’ – Preds CLINCH, but There’s Still Work To Do

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The Nashville Predators are heading back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs! That just feels good to say, doesn’t it? The Preds became the first team in the NHL to clinch a playoff spot this week with some strong play and some more come-from-behind magic. There’s not really much else you can say about this team right now other than they are playing some great hockey at the moment. There’s still plenty of work to do though. The Preds are still tracking down their first Central Division title, the #1 seed in the Western Conference, and the President’s Trophy.

Another 3-0 week has helped propel the team to the top of the standings, and they’re starting to separate themselves from the pack. They have a 10-point lead in the Central over the Jets with 104 points. The Jets are currently playing as I write this, so it may be down to eight points by the time you read this. Minnesota is still holding down third in the division with 89 points. In the Western Conference standings, the Preds lead the Golden Knights by seven points with a game in hand.

In the race for the President’s Trophy, the Predators have caught and passed the Lightning. They now lead the NHL with 104 points, with the Lightning in second with 102. The Preds also have a game in hand in that race. Home ice will be huge in the playoffs, so keep an eye on these races. It could go a long way in determining how far the Preds can go this year.

The Winnipeg Jets made their last regular season visit to Nashville to kick things off this week. The Jets were coming off a game in Washington the night before and were a little banged up. The Predators didn’t care. They stormed out of the gates and were up 3-0 within the first ten minutes of the game.

Kevin Fiala got things started after an amazing pass from Roman Josi. It was then time for the penalty kill to get to work. Austin Watson and Viktor Arvidsson both scored shorthanded goals on the SAME penalty! First time in franchise history that has happened. Pekka Rinne continued his Vezina campaign and slammed the door shut, allowing only one goal. Huge win for Nashville against their main challenger in the Western Conference.

It was then off to the desert, where the Predators have struggled recently for some reason. The Coyotes have been playing really well lately, so this would be no easy task.

Arizona would get on the board first early in the second, but Captain Clutch Ryan Ellis would tie it up shortly after. The Coyotes would tally again to take a 2-1 lead into the third. Yep, another comeback was in the works for the Predators. Kyle Turris would take care of that just 22 seconds into the third for his 13th goal of the season. Minutes later, Kevin Fiala would find the back of the net off the faceoff to give the Predators a 3-2 lead. Pekka Rinne would again stand tall and the Preds would skate away with the victory.

Another tough matchup for the Preds as they visited Colorado for the second half of a back-to-back. After several chances, Colton Sissons would give the Preds the lead, but Nathan MacKinnon would tie the game up just before the first intermission. The Avs would take the lead early in the second until Filip Forsberg was able to find the loose puck and slam it home. Tie game. Colton Sissons would score for the second time to give the Preds the lead minutes later, and Forsberg would grab his second of the night with an empty netter to seal the game.

PREDS THREE STARS OF THE WEEK

First Star – Kyle Turris – Turris picked up one goal and three assists this week. He’s cooled off a bit from his scorching start with the Preds, but the impact he has had on Fiala and Smith this year is incredible. Good to see him get back on the score sheet.

Second Star – Kevin Fiala – Two goals and an assist this week. Fiala has really come on strong lately. I said at the beginning of the season that he would be this year’s Arvidsson and he has been every bit of that.

Third Star – Filip Forsberg – Forsberg has been quiet lately, so it was nice to see him back scoring goals. Scoresberg would finish the week with two goals and an assist. He’s a little bit of a streaky shooter, so if he’s starting to heat up, big things could be coming.

Just three games this week for the Predators. Monday night, it’s off to Buffalo. The Sabres are in full rebuild mode, so the Predators need to take advantage. After a few days off, it’s back to Nashville when the Maple Leafs come to town. This is a young up and coming team, so it should be a nice test for the Predators. It’s then back on the road to Minnesota Saturday night for a game against the red hot Wild. This is a potential playoff matchup, so all of Smashville should be watching this one closely.

Have you heard about the newest SoBros Network podcast, Talking Preds? You can follow us on Twitter @TalkingPreds and iTunes. Give us a listen and tell us what you think. New episodes come out about once a week, sometimes more, sometimes less. Oh yeah, we’re also giving away TWO PLAYOFF TICKETS in an upcoming episode, so make sure to listen every chance you can so you don’t miss out on how to enter!

Herbie Brooks is the Lead Hockey Analyst for SoBros Network. He knows three things: beating Commies, winning Gold Medals, and having great hair. Follow him on Twitter: @SoBroHerbie_B

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