The 2021-22 season has come to a close, and the time has come to unpack the campaign that was. Brooks Bratten and Kara Hammer air and discuss thoughts from Predators General Manager David Poile, as well as players Juuse Saros, Filip Forsberg, Mattias Ekholm and Roman Josi following the conclusion of Nashville's postseason run. Plus, Josi and Saros are nominated for NHL Awards and the offseason calendar is revealed with the summertime ahead. 

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Two Mondays ago, the Nashville Predators were left with an empty feeling.

So, as the sun came up the morning after they were swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, those in the Preds hockey operations department got back to work, just as every team does when they don't finish the season with the ultimate prize.

That's the scene that plays out across 31 of 32 organizations around the League at some point every spring, and over the past 10 days, the Predators have been searching for answers to the questions that arise after moments like this.

On Thursday morning, Preds General Manager David Poile and Head Coach John Hynes took their turn to address those items as they held their season-ending press conference, and the GM was direct from the beginning.

Emotions were still rather raw for the Predators less than 24 hours after being eliminated in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and understandably so.

After putting together a regular season hardly anyone saw coming, no one inside the Nashville locker room expected to be swept in the first round by the Colorado Avalanche, but that was the reality as Preds players addressed the media on Tuesday evening.

With their hockey bags packed and waiting in the event level hallway outside the team's locker room inside Bridgestone Arena, the Predators discussed plenty, including what happened over the past week to lead to the eventual outcome. Goaltender Juuse Saros's injury was a hot topic, as was forward Filip Forsberg's future, both of which may be read about further by clicking the appropriate link in this sentence.

Juuse Saros isn't a doctor, but when he felt a "pop" during the third period of the final Predators home game of the regular season a couple weeks back, he figured the prognosis wouldn't be great.

Nashville's goaltender confirmed Tuesday he did indeed suffer an ankle injury on April 26, an ailment that kept him out of the final two contests of the season - and eventually all four games the Preds played against Colorado in the first round of the playoffs.

Speaking with the media as Predators players gathered for the final time before going their separate ways to start the offseason, Saros went into detail of the injury that seemingly occurred on a play that happens countless times throughout the course of a normal game as his season came to an abrupt end.

Filip Forsberg didn't mean any disrespect when he told members of the media on Tuesday he would rather not be speaking about the season that was.

Preparing for a Game 5 back in Colorado would have been preferred, but as the Predators saw their run come to a close on Monday night, a four-game sweep at the hands of the Avalanche, Forsberg and his teammates were left disappointed, to say the least.

So, the Nashville winger, who tallied a career-high 42 goals - just one off of teammate Matt Duchene's 43 for the franchise record - over the past six-plus months, was instead reflecting on what was, what could have been and what's still to come.

Nashville's run in the postseason came to an end on Monday night.

Yakov Trenin tallied twice, and Filip Forsberg scored his first of the playoffs, but the Predators ultimately fell to the Colorado Avalanche by a 5-3 final in Game 4 at Bridgestone Arena. The result sees the Avs sweep the Preds and win the series by a 4-0 count to bring a conclusion to Nashville's campaign.

Goaltender Connor Ingram made 33 saves in net for the Predators, and Nashville played their best game of the series in what turned out to be their final outing, but it wasn't enough against a Colorado team that handed the Preds their first sweep in franchise history.

For the first time in these playoffs, the Nashville Predators are facing elimination.

They'll host the Colorado Avalanche tonight at Bridgestone Arena at 8:30 p.m. CT, and with the visitors up 3-0 in the series, the Preds simply have no other choice but find a way to win if they are to force a Game 5.

Here are some of the top quotes from the Preds heading into Game 4 in Nashville.

After the first three games went in favor of the Avalanche, the Nashville Predators are still looking to build upon the positives and extend their series tonight in Game 4 at Bridgestone Arena at 8:30 p.m. CT.

The Preds had their best outing of the series on Saturday afternoon in Nashville, but they fell by a 7-3 final as the Avalanche took a 3-0 series lead. Goaltender Connor Ingram got the start once again and made 35 saves in the effort. The Preds held off-ice workouts and team meetings on Sunday and prepared for this evening's matchup in a chance to extend the series.

Nashville and Colorado combined for six power-play goals in Game 3, but it was the Predators who fell to the Avalanche by a 7-3 final on Saturday afternoon at Bridgestone Arena. The result sees the Preds now on the brink of elimination as they trail 3-0 in the Round One series.

Matt Duchene, Eeli Tolvanen and Roman Josi all tallied for Nashville in Game 3, but four of Colorado's seven goals came with the man advantage as the series shifted back to Tennessee. The Predators say their 5-on-5 play was the best they've seen in the series, but the Avalanche took advantage of their chances to ultimately hand the Preds their third loss in as many tries.

Nashville, Tenn. (May 7, 2022) - Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the team has recalled forward Cody Glass from Milwaukee (AHL).