As of May 4, the Preds have skated in 53 of those 56 games, and a playoff berth is very much a possibility, as the campaign winds down after weeks of ups and downs. Those highs and lows are commonplace in any season, but it's not often a team finds themselves 10 points out of a playoff spot with approximately two months to play before staging one of the more impressive turnarounds in the NHL in recent memory.
The Predators have earned a point in 19 of their last 25 games (18-6-1), a stretch that started with a 4-1 victory at Tampa Bay on March 15. In that time span, Nashville's 18 wins are tied for the most in the NHL with Colorado and Vegas. In fact, the Preds have accomplished that feat despite 188 total man-games lost in that span, and the team has used 29 different skaters and two goaltenders since March 15.
A unique component to this season from the start was the addition of a taxi squad - a group composed of four to six players, in addition to the 23 on the active NHL roster - who would essentially be with the team all the time in case a player was needed on short notice due to an injury or illness. No team escapes the rigors of a regular season without injury, but the Predators surely didn't envision these numbers at the start.
Nashville leads the NHL in rookies used with 12, and the total of 15 defensemen who have appeared in at least one game for the Preds is tied with Colorado for the most in the League. In total, 35 skaters have been used by the Predators, a mark that is tied with Boston and San Jose for the most among the 31 clubs as well.
And yet, with so many new faces taking their rightful turns at some point over the past four months, the Predators have simply found a way to be the team they thought they could be when this all started back in January.
Nashville has 17 players with at least 10 points this season, a total that is tied with Vegas and Washington for third-most in the NHL, just one player behind the leaders in Minnesota and Pittsburgh.
That consistent offensive contribution from so many is a testament to Nashville's depth, and the ability to put players in a position to succeed when their name is called - and it's a huge reason as to why the Preds could clinch a postseason spot on Wednesday night.
"It's obviously been the No. 1 reason that we are in the spot that we are when we look at the amount of injuries," Preds Captain Roman Josi said of the statistic. "The times that guys have been out of the lineup, we've had players step up and step in. Everybody who's played a game for us this year has been a phenomenal player and definitely played a key contribution, and that definitely is going to have to be the case going down the stretch here."
"It tells you that you have a lot of players that have played well this year, and I think a lot of guys have gotten opportunities and done a very good job with the opportunities that they've had," Preds Head Coach John Hynes said of the numbers. "But I also think the big thing is it talks about what type of team we are, and we're a team that needs everyone. We can't have passengers; we need everyone to be able to contribute… and we have to play a really strong team game. We need a lot of a lot of players to be able to contribute, whether it's offensively, defensively, physical play - the way that we need to work, and when we do that, we're a hard team to play against. We have good players, and they have the ability to produce when they're playing the right way."
