The Nashville Predators kept rolling Wednesday night, and they did it the hard way.
Playing the second night of a back-to-back on the road, Nashville outlasted the Anaheim Ducks for its sixth straight win, extending the league’s hottest streak while taking down the NHL’s other hottest team. Anaheim struck first when Cutter Gauthier opened the scoring, but the Predators answered with goals from Jayden Struble, Nils Hoglander, Shane Wright and Steven Stamkos to finish off another complete effort.
There was plenty to like in the win, but a few things stood out most.
Justus Annunen keeps giving Nashville a real answer in net
The Predators’ goaltending situation is starting to look awfully sturdy. Justus Annunen shook off a rough start to his season against the Boston Bruins and has now won four straight after stopping 27 of 29 shots Wednesday night.
That kind of run helps explain why Elliotte Friedman reported earlier this season that teams might begin looking into Nashville’s goaltending tandem. Andrew Brunette’s challenge now is figuring out how to get Annunen more starts, because Juuse Saros still carries the heavier load. But if Annunen keeps producing nights like this, Nashville is going to be a tough team to crack.
Shane Wright delivered his first big night as a Predator
Wright had been quiet through his first four games with Nashville, but Wednesday was a different story. He set up both of the goals scored by Struble and Hoglander, then buried the one that ended up standing as the game-winner.
It was his first multi-point game of the season and his first three-point night since the 2023-24 season. That one came in Anaheim against the Ducks, too. He only played eight games that season and hadn’t done it again since becoming an NHL regular.
Nils Hoglander is suddenly driving the offense
Hoglander has caught fire during this six-game winning streak, and his surge may be tied to having a two-way center like Wright beside him. Brunette’s second line of Hoglander, Wright and Filip Forsberg has clicked since it was assembled, and it has played a big role in Nashville winning the first two games of this West Coast trip.
With Wright in the middle and Hoglander producing the way he has, some would argue that line is functioning like the team’s top unit. It logged 10:05 together at five-on-five, more than the Ryan O’Reilly line, and it was the only Predators line with an xGF% above 50, finishing at 66.8%.
In Other News...
Predators Still Waiting On A Key Return They Clearly Need
The injury ripple across the league kept growing this week, and for Nashville it still circles back to Jonathan Marchessault. The Predators winger remains out with a lower-body injury, leaving a noticeable hole in a lineup that could use his finishing touch and veteran presence as the schedule keeps moving.
Marchessault has not played since Halloween, and the club is still managing him on a day-to-day basis as it looks for a path to get him back in the mix. With Nashville trying to stay afloat through a stretch where other teams are also juggling key absences, his return remains one of the more important items on the teams immediate to-do list. [Read more 🡒]
Predators Suddenly Face A Bigger Road Test Than This Streak Has Seen
A six-game winning streak has put Nashville in a better place than it was just a week ago, but the road trip that follows will tell a lot more about where this team really stands. After getting past Anaheim, the Predators are now moving into a stretch that asks them to keep producing away from home, with games in Vegas, San Jose and Minnesota all still ahead.
The challenge is bigger than just the travel. Nashville will run into familiar faces along the way, including former Predators on opposing rosters, while general manager Chris MacFarland keeps a close eye on how the group handles the trip. With the Central Division race still taking shape, this is the kind of stretch that can either reinforce the momentum or expose how much work remains. [Read more 🡒]