Series Preview: Predators vs Coyotes

We’re merely hours away from Nashville’s qualifying round series against the Arizona Coyotes -- the first postseason meeting between the two teams in nearly a decade. While the Predators are offensively and defensively capable of knocking out the Coyotes, they can’t look past them. They’ll have their hands full sizing up against players like Taylor Hall, Phil Kessel, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

There’s also a handful of questions that still surround Nashville. How will the goaltending situation play out? Can one of the league’s worst pair of special teams units turn things around? Will the offensive stars for the Predators get back to basics and start chipping pucks in the net?

Plenty of positives can be taken away from the exhibition game against the Stars on Thursday, however, it’s just that -- an exhibition game. Game one on Sunday afternoon will give us a much better idea of just how far we can expect the Predators to go and whether or not the postseason run will last longer than a week.

Offense

You would expect that this would more-or-less favor the Coyotes instead of the Predators, but I’m more inclined to consider this matchup more of a push than I would have previously.

Comparing both teams statistically over the course of the regular season, Nashville had a slight advantage over Arizona in terms of total goals scored (212 to 190). It’s not a major difference, but based on how the season . . .

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Author: Kristopher MartelCovering the Nashville Predators since 2011, and a fan of the team since they arrived, Kristopher has witnessed both the highs and the lows of the organization, spanning quick exits in the playoffs, multiple coaching changes, their only trip to the Stanley Cup Final, and more. Often trending to a more analytical approach, Kristopher enjoys breaking down some of the more detailed aspects of the Predators while at the same time trying to offer fans a friendly approach to the advanced side of hockey. When he's not around the rink, Kristopher is an avid Cleveland Browns fan, collects and enjoys fine bourbon, and likes to spend plenty of time around his grill and smoker. Kristopher, his wife Amanda, and their four children reside east of Nashville in Lebanon, Tennessee.