Predators Surge Ahead in Playoff Push: 'We're Trying to Catch Who's in Front of Us'

It's been over a month since the Nashville Predators last lost a game in regulation.

They've already made history with a franchise-record 16-game point streak (14-0-2), an improbable twist in a season they started with a 5-10-0 record. One of the biggest comeback stories of the 2023-24 campaign, Nashville's late-season turnaround has been the result of relentless, hard work by the players and coaching staff alike.

"I think it's something super special, and there have been a lot of great teams here," forward Ryan O'Reilly said. "To be able to do that, I think it shows how good we are and how good this group is. But, you know, we've still got a lot of things we've got to improve on and get better at. But obviously, we do great things and find ways to win games. That's something special that I think everyone's proud of — our coaching staff, our management, and for us as players. You've got to be proud of that."

Setting a franchise record may not have explicitly been on the team's preseason to-do list, but head coach Andrew Brunette isn't surprised given the team's work ethic over the course of the last month.

"We kind of felt as we got going here that we were capable of pulling off something pretty special in that run," Brunette said. "It took a lot of work. It's going take a lot of work to keep going. But I think we're embracing a little bit. [We're] embracing the grind, and we're getting rewarded for it."

As much outside attention as it has received, the point streak isn't exactly front of mind in the Predators' locker room. Currently in fourth place in the Central Division with 86 points, Nashville has a firm hold on first Western Conference Wild Card spot with a five-point lead over the reigning Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights. With 13 games remaining in the regular season, they have all but secured a playoff berth — but they still aren't satisfied.

"I think we're trying to catch who's in front of us," O'Reilly said. "We're finding ways to win these games, and it's not going to be easy; there are great teams ahead of us, but our goal is to keep catching them. If we do that, we hopefully put ourselves in good spots."

The Predators have a chance to extend their franchise-record point streak to 17 games as they host the Detroit Red Wings on March 23. The Red Wings, who sit precariously in the second Eastern Conference Wild Card spot with 78 points, are 3-7-0 in their last 10 games entering Saturday's matchup. They already have one win over the Predators this season, a 5-4 overtime victory in Detroit on Dec. 29, and they'll be looking to complete the season sweep.

"Every point matters right now, so it's a big one," O'Reilly said. "All of our attention is on Detroit. It's going to be a tough challenge for us."

Now that they've surged back into the postseason race, the Predators know they can't afford to take a game off — especially against a desperate and dangerous Red Wings team.

"The message is we're going forward," Brunette said. "We're going straight ahead, and we're going to continue to hunt. We're not going to be complacent where we're at. This league is too hard. We've been through it too many times. No lead is safe. We just want to keep our game intact and be us, night in and night out, and give ourselves a chance to win games."