The Western Conference playoff race has been one of the most memorable roller coaster rides in recent memory. The Nashville Predators find themselves in the second wild-card spot, way behind the Central division leaders without much chance of catching up. They can, however, bolster their playoff chances by upsetting the Minnesota Wild on the road.
Back in the Mix
Yes, I’m talking about the Predators team that fired head coach Peter Laviolette at the beginning of January because they were so far out of contention. They’ve managed to fight their way back into the race, and with a win in Minnesota, they’d solidify themselves near the front of the pack. Just one problem, all the NHL betting odds have them as underdogs against a team that can make the leap if they do their job. It’s not as though the Preds need a miracle, but the pressure is on. They’re over NHL .500 on the road and 6-3-1 in their last 10 which is somehow near the top of Western Conference teams over the last two weeks. That’s not to say they’re on the same level as the Western powerhouses. Look no further than the beatdown they received at the hands of the Oilers last night.
Wild Times
Sorry for the pun but let me tell you about another team that fired their head coach earlier this season. They were cellar dwellers in the Central all year, fought back to contention, fired Bruce Boudreau, almost traded one of their best players, and now they’re tip-toeing the line of playoff contender and pretender. The Minnesota Wild are 5-2-0 since the coaching change, but only 1-1-0 at home. This is not an overly talented team on paper but, in typical Wild fashion, they find a way to mesh and string enough wins together to be contending no matter how unlikely.
Confidence Pick
The Predators are the better team. No question about it. They’re going to come into Xcel Energy Center and trounce the Wild while proving to the rest of the Wild Card hopefuls that it’s their position to lose. I’m HAMMERING the Predators in this one, and I’m not totally sure it’ll even be a close game. The Wild haven’t beat their division rivals yet this season, going 0-2-0 early on. They play three times in March, none more important than the matchup tomorrow night. The Predators may not sweep the season series, but expect Nashville to assert their dominance tomorrow night in Minneapolis.
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