If the Nashville Predators ultimately fall short in their push for the playoffs, it won’t be for lack of effort - it’ll be because of how they start games.
Once again, the Predators found themselves in an early hole, this time in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins. Falling behind 2-0, Nashville struggled to generate any meaningful offensive pressure in the first half of the game.
But in true Predators fashion, they didn’t go quietly. They’ve made a habit this season of clawing their way back into games - and they’ve done it successfully.
Their 13 wins after trailing by a goal are tied for the most in the league with the Montreal Canadiens. That speaks to their resilience, but also to a troubling pattern that’s hard to ignore.
The comeback bid in Boston started late in the second period, when Roman Josi unleashed a rocket on the power play to cut the deficit in half. It was his ninth goal of the season and put him just one shy of 200 for his career - a milestone that would further cement his legacy after recently hitting the 1,000-game mark. That goal gave the Predators a spark heading into the third, and from there, they turned up the pressure.
Boston’s defense made Nashville work for every inch of ice. The Bruins clogged the neutral zone and forced the Predators to fight for controlled entries and offensive zone time.
But Nashville kept grinding, and it paid off midway through the third when Nick Blankenburg buried his sixth goal of the season to tie things up. Adam Wilsby picked up the primary assist, a welcome contribution from the bottom half of the lineup that’s been relatively quiet lately.
Getting that kind of depth scoring is a good sign - especially in games where the top line doesn’t break through.
From that point on, it was all Predators. They controlled the flow, tilted the ice, and were buzzing in the offensive zone.
The Expected Goals numbers back it up: Nashville finished with 3.63 xG to Boston’s 2.10. The Preds had the momentum and looked poised to complete the comeback in regulation.
Juuse Saros deserves credit for keeping the game within reach early. While Boston didn’t generate a ton of high-danger looks, Saros was steady when needed, finishing with 25 saves. But the overtime period was short-lived - David Pastrnak ended it just 15 seconds in with a quick strike that left no time for Nashville to respond.
The Predators’ top veterans - Steven Stamkos, Ryan O’Reilly, and Filip Forsberg - were active but couldn’t solve Jeremy Swayman. Each finished with three shots on goal, but none found twine. Nights like this underscore how important secondary scoring is going to be down the stretch.
One area where Nashville excelled was the penalty kill. They shut down all three of Boston’s power plays - no small feat against the league’s fourth-ranked unit. The Predators now sit 11th in the NHL on the PK, a strength they’ll need to lean on as the playoff race tightens.
With the overtime point, Nashville inches forward but still trails in the wildcard race. The San Jose Sharks currently hold the final spot, four points ahead. The Predators haven’t faced them yet this season, but they’ll meet three times before the year’s out - games that could very well decide who gets in and who’s left out.
It’s not just San Jose in the mix, either. The Kings and Kraken are also sitting at 57 points, putting three teams between Nashville and a playoff berth.
With 30 games to go, the climb is steep but not impossible. The trade deadline is looming, and it remains to be seen whether GM Barry Trotz will stay the course with this group or look to shake things up.
Next up, the Predators stay on the road with a visit to New Jersey. The Devils have underperformed this season, but they’re in a strange spot - closer to a top-three finish in the Metropolitan than they are to a wildcard. They sit five points back of third place in the division, but nine points out of the wildcard hunt.
For the Predators, the margin for error is shrinking. If they want to keep pace in the West, they’ll need to start games the way they’ve been finishing them.