PREGAME THOUGHTS IN NASHVILLE

Hey, everyone! Here are some of my pregame thoughts as we get set for tonight’s game in Nashville.

CHECKED OFF ALL THE BOXES IN DAL
Following up on my last article, I couldn’t be happier with how the Dallas game went. I’ll dive deeper into certain topics, but it feels like every box was checked off (...Even though I was hoping we wouldn’t see Wyatt Johnston score a PPG, LOL… but what a response to that goal by Bratter, Browner, and Jack to take a 4-1 lead going into the room!).

- Scored Jake the first goal (and six total in front of him for the second-straight year in Dallas) ✅

- Bratter scores a filthy goal to reach a career-high 4-Game Goal Streak ✅

- Got Dougie the W and an ENG for his 900th game ✅

4-GOAL FIRST PERIOD
First and foremost, how could I move forward in this article without talking more about that first period in Dallas. Dano and I thought we were dreaming when we saw 4 of the first 5 NJD shots find the back of the net, as it’s been so long since the team had an explosion of goals like this to start a game. Hopefully, these two, three, four-goal periods continue to become more common for this team moving forward, just like these five/six-goal games are. The Devils have scored six goals in 4 of their last 8 games, after not a single six-goal game in their first 62! 🤯

SAL, WHERE WERE ALL THESE GOALS EARLIER IN THE SEASON?!
Building on my last point on the goalscoring, it’s great to see guys are getting the Olympic bump, and the team is finally scoring at the rate we know they are capable of. But a lot of people are asking me, “Sal, is it really just the Olympic bump and some ‘regression’ as to why the puck is all of a sudden going in for the Devils? Why couldn’t this happen sooner in the season?!?!”

Well, yes, the Olympic bump and/or mental reset that the guys got plays a major factor, but it can also be said that the team is playing looser now with every game no longer being a must-win. Psychologically, when you don’t feel like every mistake is going to be scrutinized as the reason you won’t make the playoffs, it’s a pressure and weight on your shoulders that is lifted. This is why we always say the non-playoff teams are so dangerous: they’re just playing loose, fun hockey.

Now, don’t get me wrong. The Devils should not be in this spot right now. Everyone in that locker room has the pride and understanding that missing the playoffs this season is completely unacceptable. This is not a rebuilding, young team that is going through “growth” years anymore. But in order not to have a repeat of missing the playoffs again next season, you have to live in the moment, finish strong, and think of the bigger picture about this team so you can go into the offseason with less of a psychological block about the entire season being a catastrophic failure. You just hope it carries over into next season so we can see this vintage 2022-23 Devils swagger return consistently.

MERCER
As a side note on the team finally scoring goals, it seems that Dawson Mercer is one of the few guys still snakebitten and struggling to produce offensively since the break, as he only has 2-2–4 PTS in 13 GP and is looking to snap a 7-game goal drought. This is not me calling him out by any means, I’m just hoping to manifest some pucks going in the back of the net for him as well. 🤞

GLASSER
Another guy who could use a boost offensively tonight is Cody Glass (1-1–2 PTS in 13 GP since the break), and what better place to do it in than in his old stomping grounds of Nashville, where he set his previous career high of 14 goals before surpassing that this season with the Devils. Let's hope there's some vintage music-city magic left to spark him back in the right direction, as he had 6-4–10 PTS his previous 12 GP before the break.

BJUGSTAD
Finally, when I saw that Nick Bjugstad has 7 Goals in 15 Career GP here in Nashville, I would be remiss if I didn't bring him up in this article. I’d love to see Bjugy get rewarded for his strong efforts on the 4th line with his first goal as a Devil tonight!

WHAT A TURNAROUND
The job is far from finished, but this Predators team going from last in the NHL on Dec. 8, with talks of selling everyone off at the deadline, to now in a playoff spot on March 26, tells me all I need to know about the belief inside that NSH room. Tonight’s game is as big as it gets at this point in the season for the Preds as they hold onto that WC2 spot for dear life!