Predators fans can take a peek at the Western Conference standings this morning and observe a first.
The calendar has turned to March, and the team currently is holding one of the conference's eight playoff positions.
''As of today, we hold our own destiny,'' Coach Barry Trotz said. ''If we stay even with everyone else, we get in. That's in our favor. We don't have to play catch-up with anybody.''
The Predators know that doesn't make them a lock for the first playoff berth in the franchise's six-year history.
They face one of the more difficult remaining five weeks of the eight teams vying for the final four playoff spots. Following tonight's home game against Chicago, the team will play 11 of its final 17 games on the road, where Nashville has posted an 11-16-2-1 mark this season. In addition, 10 of the Predators' remaining opponents are playing winning hockey.
''You can look at the schedules and look at who everybody else is playing, but I don't think that's all that relevant,'' Trotz said. ''There are some times when you'll go into a building against a team with a better record, but they may not view the game as desperately as you do.
''Or you may go into a game against a team that's out of the playoff race, but they have no pressure on them, and they've got a bunch of young guys who want to establish themselves for next year.''
Most of the Predators will find themselves dealing with a new kind of intensity as well. Only six of the 20 Predators who suited up for Saturday's game against the New York Rangers had ever competed in the postseason.
''Most guys have never experienced this, but the only way to get experience is to go through it,'' left wing Andreas Johansson said.
Race to the postseason
With less than five weeks remaining in the NHL's regular season, the Predators find themselves in the thick of the playoff race. Here's a look at the eight teams currently vying for the final four spots in the Western Conference playoff picture. The top eight teams in each conference qualify for the postseason.
Dallas Stars
? Record (Points): 32-22-11-0 (75)
? Position in Western Conference standings: Fifth
? Last 10 games: 6-2-2
? Games remaining: 17
? Home games/Road games: 8/9
? Games vs. teams over .500/at or below .500: 10/7
? Key injuries: None
? Outlook: The Stars have to be considered the favorite to wind up at the top of this group of eight. The team is healthy, goaltender Marty Turco is playing very well and the Stars are getting scoring from a variety of sources. Dallas appears to be playing its best hockey of the season, as their win over Edmonton yesterday extended the team's unbeaten streak to seven games.
Nashville Predators
? Record (Points): 32-23-7-2 (73)
? Position in Western Conference standings: Sixth
? Last 10 games: 6-3-0-1
? Games remaining: 18
? Home games/Road games: 7/11
? Games vs. teams over .500/at or below .500: 10/8
? Key injuries: LW/C Rem Murray, LW Scott Hartnell, D Jason York.
? Outlook: The Predators looked as if they were running out of steam a couple of weeks ago, but the trade for Steve Sullivan, as well as a return to form by Tomas Vokoun, has boosted Nashville to five wins in the last six games.
The team is playing confidently at home, where the Predators have won 21 of their 32 games. But Nashville will have to prove it can win on the road, where the Predators play 11 of their final 18 contests.
Los Angeles Kings
? Record (Points): 25-18-5-7 (72)
? Position in Western Conference standings: Tie 7th.
? Last 10 games: 3-3-2-2
? Games remaining: 17
? Home games/Road games: 10/7
? Games vs. teams over .500/at or below .500: 11/6
? Key injuries: RW Adam Deadmarsh, C
Jason Allison, D Aaron Miller, RW Ziggy Palffy, C Martin Straka, D Lubomir Visnovsky, G Roman Cechmanek.
? Outlook: Everyone seems to be waiting for the Kings to fall apart because of all their significant injuries. But the team has been without some of its star players for so long that it seems to be adjusting pretty well.
The depleted Kings lineup should get a boost from Straka's impending return, and that might just be enough to carry Los Angeles to the finish line.
Calgary Flames
? Record (Points): 32-24-5-3 (72)
? Position in Western Conference standings: Tie 7th.
? Record last 10: 6-4-0
? Games remaining: 18
? Home games/Road games: 7/11
? Games vs. teams over .500/at or below .500: 13/5
? Key injuries: LW Dave Lowry, C Blair Betts.
? Outlook: The Flames were showing signs of faltering going into last night's game against Phoenix, having lost four of their last five contests. But as well as goalie Mikka Kiprusoff is playing (15-6-2, 1.51 goals against average, .939 save percentage), he seems to have the ability to straighten the team out on his own.
The offensively challenged Flames would benefit from adding some offense before the March 9 trading deadline, but there haven't been indications of major moves in the works.
St. Louis Blues
? Record (Points): 29-25-8-2 (68)
? Position in Western Conference standings: Ninth
? Record last 10: 3-5-1-1
? Games Remaining: 18
? Home games/Road games: 10/8
? Games vs. teams over .500/at or below .500: 9/9
? Key injuries: D Al MacInnis, D Barret Jackman, D Alexander Khavanov
? Outlook: The Blues have been slipping in the standings for weeks. St. Louis carried a four-game winless streak into last night's contest and had produced just five goals during that stretch.
It's clear the team is missing last year's top defensive pairing of MacInnis and Jackman. Both of the players are expected to miss the remainder of this season at least. But with Keith Tkachuk, Doug Weight, Pavol Demitra and Chris Pronger still skating, it's hard to imagine why this team can't get back on track.
Edmonton Oilers
? Record (Points): 26-27-10-2 (64)
? Position in Western Conference standings: 10th
? Last 10 games: 4-3-2-1
? Games remaining: 17
? Home games/Road games: 9/8
? Games vs. teams over .500/at or below .500: 13/4
? Key injuries: G Ty Conklin, C Jarret Stoll, C Mike York, C Marty Reasoner
? Outlook: The Oilers have missed at least a couple of opportunities to help themselves in this race, tying the Predators on Feb. 15 in Nashville and blowing a three-goal lead in yesterday's overtime loss at Dallas.
Edmonton is in dire need of another center, especially following the loss of York, who'd collected 37 points in 51 games. The Oilers could still get back in the thick of things with a string of wins, but time is running short for that kind of performance.
Anaheim Mighty Ducks
? Record (Points): 23-26-9-8 (63)
? Position in Western Conference standings: 11th
? Last 10 games: 5-3-1-1
? Games remaining: 16
? Home games/Road games: 8/8
? Games vs. teams over .500/at or below .500: 10/6
? Key injuries: D Sandis Ozolinsh, C Rob Niedermayer
? Outlook: The defending Western Conference champions probably kept themselves alive in the race by knocking off Los Angeles.
Minnesota Wild
? Record(Points): 21-25-17-2 (61)
? Position in Western Conference standings: 12th
? Record last 10: 3-5-2
? Games Remaining: 17
? Home games/Road games: 8/9
? Games vs. teams over .500/below .500: 10/7
? Key injuries: C Jim Dowd, C Marc Chouinard
? Outlook: Last year's Western Conference runner-ups will have quite a challenge to get back into the midst of the playoff pack, and taking a three-game losing streak into last night's contest wasn't helping the Wild at all.
The Wild have fallen back in the ranks this season for several reasons. Marian Gaborik hasn't produced the big numbers he did last year, the Wild isn't as invincible when taking a lead as it was a year ago and Minnesota has recorded too many ties at the expense of victories.
The calendar has turned to March, and the team currently is holding one of the conference's eight playoff positions.
''As of today, we hold our own destiny,'' Coach Barry Trotz said. ''If we stay even with everyone else, we get in. That's in our favor. We don't have to play catch-up with anybody.''
The Predators know that doesn't make them a lock for the first playoff berth in the franchise's six-year history.
They face one of the more difficult remaining five weeks of the eight teams vying for the final four playoff spots. Following tonight's home game against Chicago, the team will play 11 of its final 17 games on the road, where Nashville has posted an 11-16-2-1 mark this season. In addition, 10 of the Predators' remaining opponents are playing winning hockey.
''You can look at the schedules and look at who everybody else is playing, but I don't think that's all that relevant,'' Trotz said. ''There are some times when you'll go into a building against a team with a better record, but they may not view the game as desperately as you do.
''Or you may go into a game against a team that's out of the playoff race, but they have no pressure on them, and they've got a bunch of young guys who want to establish themselves for next year.''
Most of the Predators will find themselves dealing with a new kind of intensity as well. Only six of the 20 Predators who suited up for Saturday's game against the New York Rangers had ever competed in the postseason.
''Most guys have never experienced this, but the only way to get experience is to go through it,'' left wing Andreas Johansson said.
Race to the postseason
With less than five weeks remaining in the NHL's regular season, the Predators find themselves in the thick of the playoff race. Here's a look at the eight teams currently vying for the final four spots in the Western Conference playoff picture. The top eight teams in each conference qualify for the postseason.
Dallas Stars
? Record (Points): 32-22-11-0 (75)
? Position in Western Conference standings: Fifth
? Last 10 games: 6-2-2
? Games remaining: 17
? Home games/Road games: 8/9
? Games vs. teams over .500/at or below .500: 10/7
? Key injuries: None
? Outlook: The Stars have to be considered the favorite to wind up at the top of this group of eight. The team is healthy, goaltender Marty Turco is playing very well and the Stars are getting scoring from a variety of sources. Dallas appears to be playing its best hockey of the season, as their win over Edmonton yesterday extended the team's unbeaten streak to seven games.
Nashville Predators
? Record (Points): 32-23-7-2 (73)
? Position in Western Conference standings: Sixth
? Last 10 games: 6-3-0-1
? Games remaining: 18
? Home games/Road games: 7/11
? Games vs. teams over .500/at or below .500: 10/8
? Key injuries: LW/C Rem Murray, LW Scott Hartnell, D Jason York.
? Outlook: The Predators looked as if they were running out of steam a couple of weeks ago, but the trade for Steve Sullivan, as well as a return to form by Tomas Vokoun, has boosted Nashville to five wins in the last six games.
The team is playing confidently at home, where the Predators have won 21 of their 32 games. But Nashville will have to prove it can win on the road, where the Predators play 11 of their final 18 contests.
Los Angeles Kings
? Record (Points): 25-18-5-7 (72)
? Position in Western Conference standings: Tie 7th.
? Last 10 games: 3-3-2-2
? Games remaining: 17
? Home games/Road games: 10/7
? Games vs. teams over .500/at or below .500: 11/6
? Key injuries: RW Adam Deadmarsh, C
Jason Allison, D Aaron Miller, RW Ziggy Palffy, C Martin Straka, D Lubomir Visnovsky, G Roman Cechmanek.
? Outlook: Everyone seems to be waiting for the Kings to fall apart because of all their significant injuries. But the team has been without some of its star players for so long that it seems to be adjusting pretty well.
The depleted Kings lineup should get a boost from Straka's impending return, and that might just be enough to carry Los Angeles to the finish line.
Calgary Flames
? Record (Points): 32-24-5-3 (72)
? Position in Western Conference standings: Tie 7th.
? Record last 10: 6-4-0
? Games remaining: 18
? Home games/Road games: 7/11
? Games vs. teams over .500/at or below .500: 13/5
? Key injuries: LW Dave Lowry, C Blair Betts.
? Outlook: The Flames were showing signs of faltering going into last night's game against Phoenix, having lost four of their last five contests. But as well as goalie Mikka Kiprusoff is playing (15-6-2, 1.51 goals against average, .939 save percentage), he seems to have the ability to straighten the team out on his own.
The offensively challenged Flames would benefit from adding some offense before the March 9 trading deadline, but there haven't been indications of major moves in the works.
St. Louis Blues
? Record (Points): 29-25-8-2 (68)
? Position in Western Conference standings: Ninth
? Record last 10: 3-5-1-1
? Games Remaining: 18
? Home games/Road games: 10/8
? Games vs. teams over .500/at or below .500: 9/9
? Key injuries: D Al MacInnis, D Barret Jackman, D Alexander Khavanov
? Outlook: The Blues have been slipping in the standings for weeks. St. Louis carried a four-game winless streak into last night's contest and had produced just five goals during that stretch.
It's clear the team is missing last year's top defensive pairing of MacInnis and Jackman. Both of the players are expected to miss the remainder of this season at least. But with Keith Tkachuk, Doug Weight, Pavol Demitra and Chris Pronger still skating, it's hard to imagine why this team can't get back on track.
Edmonton Oilers
? Record (Points): 26-27-10-2 (64)
? Position in Western Conference standings: 10th
? Last 10 games: 4-3-2-1
? Games remaining: 17
? Home games/Road games: 9/8
? Games vs. teams over .500/at or below .500: 13/4
? Key injuries: G Ty Conklin, C Jarret Stoll, C Mike York, C Marty Reasoner
? Outlook: The Oilers have missed at least a couple of opportunities to help themselves in this race, tying the Predators on Feb. 15 in Nashville and blowing a three-goal lead in yesterday's overtime loss at Dallas.
Edmonton is in dire need of another center, especially following the loss of York, who'd collected 37 points in 51 games. The Oilers could still get back in the thick of things with a string of wins, but time is running short for that kind of performance.
Anaheim Mighty Ducks
? Record (Points): 23-26-9-8 (63)
? Position in Western Conference standings: 11th
? Last 10 games: 5-3-1-1
? Games remaining: 16
? Home games/Road games: 8/8
? Games vs. teams over .500/at or below .500: 10/6
? Key injuries: D Sandis Ozolinsh, C Rob Niedermayer
? Outlook: The defending Western Conference champions probably kept themselves alive in the race by knocking off Los Angeles.
Minnesota Wild
? Record(Points): 21-25-17-2 (61)
? Position in Western Conference standings: 12th
? Record last 10: 3-5-2
? Games Remaining: 17
? Home games/Road games: 8/9
? Games vs. teams over .500/below .500: 10/7
? Key injuries: C Jim Dowd, C Marc Chouinard
? Outlook: Last year's Western Conference runner-ups will have quite a challenge to get back into the midst of the playoff pack, and taking a three-game losing streak into last night's contest wasn't helping the Wild at all.
The Wild have fallen back in the ranks this season for several reasons. Marian Gaborik hasn't produced the big numbers he did last year, the Wild isn't as invincible when taking a lead as it was a year ago and Minnesota has recorded too many ties at the expense of victories.
