Nashville Predators eliminated from playoff contention after Winnipeg win at Minnesota
A surge in the final six weeks of the 2022-23 season was not enough for the Nashville Predators to earn an NHL playoff spot.
Nashville was eliminated from playoff contention after the Winnipeg Jets won 3-1 at the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday. It'll be the first NHL postseason without the Predators since the 2013-14 season, breaking a streak of eight consecutive seasons with a Preds postseason appearance.
The Predators, who were sellers at the trade deadline when they dealt Mattias Ekholm, Mikael Granlund, Tanner Jeannot and Nino Niederreiter, managed to stay in contention with a roster full of new faces and a bevy of injuries.
Forwards Filip Forsberg, who has missed the last 30 games, Ryan Johansen (25), Matt Duchene (eight), along with defensemen Roman Josi (13) and Alexandre Carrier (16), are some of the notable names the Predators have been forced to play without. Forward Juuso Parssinen returned Monday after missing 24 games.
Still, Nashville was 15-9-2 since Feb. 21 to stay in contention in the wild card race. Goaltender Juuse Saros was playing his best in net in five April starts, allowing 1.98 goals per game with a .939 save percentage.
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Nashville (90 points) entered Tuesday three points behind the Jets for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference after a shootout win at Calgary on Monday that eliminated the Flames from playoff contention. Winnipeg (95 points after Tuesday's win) clinched the second and final wild card spot with Tuesday's win and will face the Western Conference's top seed in the first round.
Nashville will finish the season with games at Bridgestone Arena on Thursday against the Wild and Friday against the Colorado Avalanche.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville Predators won't make NHL playoffs after Winnipeg win at Wild
