In Predators' 18-Game Point Streak, Not All Wins Are Created Equal

In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, teams need to be ready for anything.

There will be blowouts. There will be close games. There will be offensive onslaughts. There will be low-scoring slugfests. There will be come-from-behind games. There will be overtime thrillers.

Over the course of their NHL-best 18-game point streak (16-0-2), the Nashville Predators have been exposed to all of these scenarios, and they've found a way to come away with at least a point in every single one.

"Every challenge presents an opportunity to get better," Predators head coach Andrew Brunette said after their most recent overtime win. "And we've been responding to those challenges every night."

Throughout this point streak, the quality of the Predators' wins has been just important as the quantity. Their last four games in particular – a blowout, back-to-back shutouts and a come-from-behind OT victory – illustrate just how resilient and relentless this team has been in every scenario during this streak as they prepare for a postseason run.

March 19: Predators 8, Sharks 2

While this was technically a come-from-behind win – the Predators trailed 2-1 early in the second period – Nashville did go on to score seven unanswered goals, so for purposes of this exercise, we'll call it a blowout.

Roman Josi had three points (1 goal, 2 assists) on the night. He was one of 13 Predators players to find the scoresheet, one of six to record a multipoint game and one of four to put up a three-point performance; the others were Filip Forsberg (1 goal, 2 assists), Ryan McDonagh (3 assists) and Kiefer Sherwood (3 assists).

Related: Josi Shines Yet Again in Predators' 8-2 Win Over Sharks

"The confidence is high," Josi said after the win. "We talked about it before the game. We're very grateful for this opportunity to have this point streak. You can't take it for granted. There's a lot of work that we've put in to get to this point, and obviously we want to keep it going as long as we can. We're realizing as a group what made us get here and the way we've played to get to this point."

With the win, the Predators extended their point streak to 15 games (13-0-2) to tie their franchise record.

March 21: Predators 3, Panthers 0

The Predators made history yet again in their next game, defeating the Florida Panthers 3-0 and extending their active point streak to 16 games (14-0-2) to establish a new franchise record .

Nashville earned a shutout win over a Panthers team that was, at the time, tied for the third-most points in the NHL (94). Forsberg led the Predators with three points (2 goals, 1 assist) to extend his goal streak to four games, and Gustav Nyquist added two points (1 goal, 1 assist) to set a new career high for points in a single season (62).

Related: Predators Shut Out Panthers, Set Franchise Record with 16-Game Point Streak

Kevin Lankinen turned aside 33 shots to earn his first shutout as a member of the Predators, building on his already-strong track record in big games on the road this season. Ten of his of 14 starts this season against current playoff teams, and nine of those 10 have been on the road. He has faced seven teams with 90-plus points, including Florida, and beaten six of them.

Lankinen has started in four of Nashville's 18 games during the franchise-record point streak, going 4-0 with a .925 save percentage and a 2.36 goals against average over that stretch.

March 23: Predators 1, Red Wings 0

Forsberg scored the Predators' lone goal to break a scoreless tie late in the third period against the Detroit Red Wings, and Juuse Saros earned the Predators their second shutout in as many games and their fifth straight win. It was the 10th time in franchise history that Nashville recorded consecutive shutouts and the first since March 5-7, 2020.

Related: Predators Extend Point Streak to 17 Games: 'We're Building Something Special Here'

The Predators came through with a strong third period that saw them outshoot the Red Wings 12-5. Forsberg scored at 14:46 of the third period on a wrist shot from the right face-off circle, and Saros made 23 saves in his third shutout of the season. With the win, the Predators also extended their shutout streak to 154:14 dating to March 19.

“I give credit to Detroit," Brunette said. “They played hard, they were fast, and they were in our face a little bit. I think we've been on a stretch for a long time where we've given everything we've had, and I think we ran out a little bit of gas both physically and emotionally over the stretch... The proudest [I’ve been] of the group during the stretch is that we're able to find it in the third period and get to our identity."

March 26: Predators 5, Golden Knights 4 (OT)

With just 15 minutes remaining in regulation against the Vegas Golden Knights, it appeared as though Nashville's 17-game point streak could be coming to an end. But this team simply refused to quit.

Down 4-1 in the third period against a desperate Golden Knights team, the Predators needed to mount a comeback, and they relied on their dynamic top forward line to get it done. The Predators scored three times in an eight-minute span – one goal each from Ryan O'Reilly, then Forsberg, then Nyquist.

Nyquist's goal forced overtime and extended the Nashville's NHL-best point streak to 18 games (16-0-2), but Josi's overtime heroics secured the Predators' sixth consecutive win and two crucial points in the playoff standings.

Related: Predators Stage Late Comeback to Defeat Golden Knights 5-4 in OT

“When things haven’t gone well, we have stuck with the program," O'Reilly said after the game. "We rely on each other and we have different guys stepping up at different times all throughout this run. We’re preparing for the playoffs. We're building our game for them, and we have to keep growing it. There’s a lot of work left to get in the playoffs first, but it was nice to see that building tonight."