Predators’ Andrew Brunette credits ‘resilient’ group after moving into Wild Card spot appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Nashville Predators recently moved into a Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. Nashville had one of the worst starts of the season in 2025-26. And it seemed likely that this group would finish near the bottom of the league. After a win on Sunday over the Chicago Blackhawks, though, they are firmly in contention for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

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It’s been an inspiring turnaround for the Predators, who have performed under expectations for the last couple seasons. The previous struggles and tribulations are not at the forefront of their mind, though. Head coach Andrew Brunette made clear on Sunday that moving forward is the team’s only concern.

“We’ve been a resilient group that has a lot of belief in ourselves, and we’re just going to keep moving forward. We haven’t dwelled on where we were (in the standings) once all year, even when we were kind of at the bottom looking up. We’re going to keep that same attitude here going forward,” Brunette said, via NHL.com.

Filip Forsberg scored twice and added an assist in the win over the Blackhawks on Sunday. Steven Stamkos, a major contributor to this turnaround, also provided a goal. With the win, Nashville moved three points clear of the Los Angeles Kings for the final Wild Card spot in the West.

The Predators are well out of contention for a playoff spot in the Central Division. They are a whopping 27 points behind the first-place Colorado Avalanche. And they are 17 points back of the third-place Minnesota Wild. Still, the Wild Card is very much in range, with the Utah Mammoth only holding down the top Wild Card berth by three points.

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Nashville will look to extend its four-game winning streak on Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks.

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