When it comes to facing the top talent in the NHL, the Nashville Predators have struggled to act as any sort of resistance.
All but one of the top 10 point leaders and goal scorers in the NHL have recorded at least two points against the Predators this season. A group of 17 players has notched a total of 61 points against Nashville.
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The group has been led by Connor McDavid (8 points in 3 games), followed by Leon Draisaitl (7 points in 3 games) and Nathan MacKinnon (6 points in 4 games).
The lone top 10 league statistical leader that doesn’t have a point against the Predators this season is Macklin Celebrini. However, Celebrini will face Nashville two more times before the season ends.
Nick Suzuki, who is ninth in league points with 88 and Cole Caufield, who is second in league scoring with 45 goals, added to their season totals against the in Saturday’s 4-1 Montreal win over Nashville. Suzuki has three assists in two games and Caufield has three goals in two games.
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Caufield and Suzuki are two of six players who have racked up multi-point performances in two games or fewer against the Predators. Nikita Kucherov and Cutter Gauthier have two points each in a single game played against the Predators.
Matt Boldy has four points in three games against the Predators, but all four came in one game, which was a 6-5 overtime win in Nashville, where Boldy had a hat trick and an assist.
But the big question is whether leaving star players open to score has given Nashville the edge? Has taking the focus off one player allowed the Predators to shut down teams as a whole? Not necessarily.
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Facing off against these 17 players, the Predators hold an 8-13-5 record. Of the 28 total games the Predators have faced these top players, eight came before the team started winning consistently in late-November.
The math makes sense, as Nashville has allowed the sixth-most goals in the league this season, at 242, and the seventh-most per game, at 3.32.
As for how many more times the Predators will have to face league leaders before the end of the regular season, they’ll be tasked with stopping Kucherov as soon as Sunday in Tampa.
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Nashville will see Gauthier and the Anaheim Ducks twice, Celebrini twice and Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov once more. If the Predators hold onto Wild Card 2, they will face MacKinnon and Martin Necas in at least three games.
Nov 11, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) skates the puck into the offensive zone during the second period against the Nashville Predators at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
Connor McDavid, Edmonton – 124 PTS (8 PTS in 3 GMS vs. NSH)
Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay – 121 PTS (2 PTS in 1 GM vs. NSH)
Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado – 117 PTS (6 PTS in 4 GMS vs. NSH)
Macklin Celebrini, San Jose – 98 PTS (0 PTS in 1 GM vs. NSH)
Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton – 97 PTS (7 PTS in 3 GMS vs. NSH)
David Pastrnak, Boston – 92 PTS (2 PTS in 2 GMS vs. NSH)
Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg – 89 PTS (3 PTS in 3 GMS vs. NSH)
Martin Neacs, Colorado – 89 PTS (3 PTS in 4 GMS vs. NSH)
Nick Suzuki, Montreal – 88 PTS (3 PTS in 2 GMS vs. NSH)
Jason Robertson, Dallas – 87 PTS (4 PTS in 3 GMS vs. NSH)
Cole Caufield, Montreal – 45 G (3 G in 2 GMS vs. NSH)
Wyatt Johnston, Dallas – 40 G (5 PTS in 3 GMS vs. NSH)
Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota – 39 G (4 PTS in 3 GMS vs. NSH)
Matt Boldy, Minnesota – 38 G (4 PTS in 3 GMS vs. NSH)
Alex DeBrincat, Detroit – 38 G (3 PTS in 2 GMS vs. NSH)
Tage Thompson, Buffalo – 37 G (2 PTS in 2 GMS vs. NSH)
Cutter Gauthier, Anaheim – 37 G (2 PTS in 1 GM vs. NSH)