Latest Nashville Predators playoff picture, wild-card standings, first-round matchups

[ASFN Admin]

The Nashville Predators are still in the hunt for the Stanley Cup Playoffs and have a game against the Montreal Canadiens on March 28 to get one step closer.

Nashville (34-29-9, 77 points) saw its season high five-gave win streak end on March 26 against the New Jersey Devils, but still hold the second wild card spot in the Western Conference.

The Predators last made the playoffs in 2024, when they lost in six games to the Vancouver Canucks. Here's what needs to happen for Nashville to return to the postseason.

Western Conference wild-card standings, as of March 28​

After games played on March 27, here's how the Western Conference wild-card race stacks up.

• WC1 - Utah Mammoth (80 points, nine games left)
• WC2 - Nashville Predators (77 points, 10 games left)
• Los Angeles Kings (76 points, 10 games left)
• Seattle Kraken (74 points, 11 games left)
• Winnipeg Jets (72 points, 10 games left)
• San Jose Sharks (71 points, 12 games left)

Nashville Predators playoff picture​

According to Money Puck, the Predators have a 43.5% chance of making the playoffs. The loss to the Devils decreased that percentage from 60%. They have a 29.1% chance of finishing in the WC2 spot and a 14.4% chance of finishing in the WC1 spot.

Their most likely first-round opponents are either the Colorado Avalanche or Dallas Stars. Long-shot possibilities include the Minnesota Wild, Anaheim Ducks and Edmonton Oilers.

TROTZ: Why Barry Trotz's legacy with Nashville Predators goes beyond bumpy GM tenure

Nashville Predators schedule​

The Predators have 10 games remaining on their schedule:

• March 28: Montreal Canadiens
• March 29: at Tampa Bay Lightning
• April 2: at Los Angeles Kings
• April 4: at San Jose Sharks
• April 6: at Los Angeles Kings
• April 7: at Anaheim Ducks
• April 9: at Utah Hockey Club
• April 11: Minnesota Wild
• April 13: San Jose Sharks
• April 16: Anaheim Ducks

The NHL's regular season ends on April 16 and the playoffs begin on April 18.

March 28 scoreboard watch: Who do the Predators need to lose tonight?​

Here's every game that affects the Predators' playoff push on March 28:

• San Jose at Columbus (4 p.m. CT)
• Seattle at Buffalo (4:30 p.m. CT)
• Winnipeg at Colorado (6 p.m. CT)
• Utah at Los Angeles (8 p.m. CT)

Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at [email protected]. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Latest Nashville Predators playoff picture, wild-card standings

Continue reading...