The Predators are officially on their way to another run at the Stanley Cup.
Nashville became the first NHL team to clinch a playoff berth Friday, doing so in a 4-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche.
The League-leading @PredsNHL are the first team to clinch a berth in the 2018 #StanleyCup Playoffs, their fourth consecutive postseason appearance and 11th in franchise history. #NHLStats #NSHvsCOL pic.twitter.com/3Z5JT6wi7W
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) March 17, 2018
Colton Sissons scored twice and Juuse Saros made 33 saves to lead the NHL’s hottest team to its 13th win in its last 14 games.
The Predators (47-14-10) have used that hot streak to climb up the NHL standings and now lead the league with 104 points. They have opened a 10-point advantage in the Central Division over second place Winnipeg and sit four points above the Eastern Conference leading Lightning with 11 games to play.
Tampa has a game in hand on Nashville, but is no longer the favorite to win the Presidents' Trophy after leading the race for the NHL’s best record most of the season.
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The Lightning were the league’s hottest team at the beginning of the year, winning 15 of their first 19 games (15-2-2) and looked to be Stanley Cup favorites before hitting a rough patch in January, which prompted general manager Steve Yzerman to be aggressive at the trade deadline.
A blockbuster deal for Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller has helped steady the ship a little, as Tampa has won nine out of its last 11, but not enough to hold off the Predators.
If they can keep it up, this could be a historic season for Nashville, which has never won a division title in franchise history, let alone a Presidents' Trophy.
The Predators are peaking at the right time and are finally rounding into the Stanley Cup contender many expected them to be at the beginning of the year after returning the majority of a roster that fell two games short of hockey’s biggest prize last season.
Last year, the @PredsNHL had 14 playoff wins.
— NHL (@NHL) March 17, 2018
This year, they’re hoping for 16. #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/UAaD9o8i2Y
Nashville is back in the postseason for the fourth year in a row, but that may just be the beginning of what this team accomplishes.