Why the Predators' 8-4 Loss to the Coyotes May Actually Be a Good Thing

As the saying goes, you can't win them all – even a team that goes more than a month without losing in regulation.

Jason Zucker scored twice in the first six minutes of the game and Roman Josi put up another three-point effort, but the Predators ultimately saw their franchise-record 18-game point streak (16-0-2) come to an end with an 8-4 road loss to the Arizona Coyotes on March 28.

Related: Defensive Breakdowns Plague Predators in Loss to Coyotes

“There's going to be a night like this,” Nashville head coach Andrew Brunette said after the game . “Every team in the NHL is a good team and every night is hard. I thought we did enough good things to win the game, we just made some mistakes that really cost us and couldn’t overcome.”

Losing is never in the game plan, but the Predators' streak wasn't going to last forever. In fact, it may have actually been a good thing that Nashville's first regulation loss since February 15 happened when it did.

The Predators have a three-point lead over the Los Angeles Kings for the first Wild Card spot in the Western Conference and cannot afford to give up two points to a fellow playoff contender. Arizona, on the other hand, sits 20 points back of the Kings for the second Wild Card spot and has effectively been eliminated from the postseason conversation. So, while they lost out on the two points, the Predators didn't sacrifice their own place in the standings in the process.

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

Nashville's ultimate litmus test will now be Saturday's visit to the juggernaut Colorado Avalanche. Though the Predators have won both prior meetings between the teams this season and the Avalanche are riding back-to-back losses into Saturday's matchup, Colorado currently sits in second place in the Central Division with 98 points to Nashville's 90. It's a team that the Predators can, should and need to beat, especially as they look to bounce back from the loss to Arizona.

"Every challenge presents an opportunity to get better," Brunette said after the Predators' come-from-behind win over the Vegas Golden Knights on March 26. "And we've been responding to those challenges every night."

Losing a game in regulation is a challenge the Predators hadn't faced in over a month. How they respond to this challenge on Saturday against Colorado will be very revealing of this team's growth and maturity this season.