It has been a long time since the Nashville Predators started a season this poorly. The last time this team got off to a 0-4-0 start was in 2002-03, just the fifth season after an NHL team was established in Nashville.
At this point in time, the Predators hadn’t even played a playoff game yet. This was actually the final season the team missed the postseason after entering the league. It was a time in which ties were still in the NHL as well.
Following that, Barry Trotz, the now general manager and former head coach since year one, took the organization to the next step. Nashville then made the playoffs for four consecutive seasons and seven of the next eight, culminating with back-to-back second round appearances.
While the four game losing streak the Predators are on right now pales in comparison to the eight game losing streak the 2002-03 Predators started with, the current team has much higher expectations. It hasn’t been the easiest schedule, but it also hasn’t been the most difficult either.
The next game Nashville plays is against the Detroit Red Wings for the second and final time of the season already. Detroit is 1-3-0 this season and their only win came against the Predators by a score of 3-0. Nashville has to find a way to even the season series and get the monkey off their back.
Captain Roman Josi said that, “the reality is we’re 0-4, so the urgency is high to get that first win, and it has to be…I think everybody’s got to try to give a little bit more.”
Related: Predators Extend Season-Opening Skid to 4 Games with 4-2 Loss to Oilers
There is a bit of adjustment that has to happen for some of the stars, but Jonathan Marchessault just scored his first goal in the previous game and Brady Skjei is already on the board. Steven Stamkos is without a point and some other Predators players are doing even worse.
A struggling Detroit team has to fall to the Predators. The bigger the hole Nashville digs for themselves to start the season, the harder it will be to climb out of.
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