Adam Williams presents his prediction for the NHL match.
Both sides now have the freedom to play without pressure. One of them — the Dallas Stars — have already secured a place in the play-offs, while the other — the Nashville Predators — are out of contention. Nevertheless, the Dallas Stars still have something to play for as they chase a higher seeding.
Dallas Stars
The Stars currently occupy second place in the Central Division and are even ahead of the leaders of the Pacific Division, the Vegas Golden Knights. Breathing down their necks are the Colorado Avalanche, who remain in the hunt for home-ice advantage in the first round. Even so, the team have also won each of their last five games in regulation, and their recent form is impressive — a 7-1-2 run — which is marginally stronger than the Colorado Avalanche’s 7-2-1 over the same span.
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are on a poor run. Over their last 10 games, they rank fourth from the bottom across the league with a 2-7-1 record — only the Boston Bruins in the East and both the Chicago Blackhawks and the San Jose Sharks in the West have fared worse. That mirrors their overall position: 14th in the Western Conference and 30th in the NHL standings. The squad appear to have given up on any realistic aspirations of climbing the standings. Since 27 March, they have lost four straight games, including a 1:2 defeat to the 14th-placed Philadelphia Flyers and a heavy 4:8 loss against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Dallas Stars vs Nashville Predators Prediction
What kind of contest can we expect here? The gulf in both quality and motivation is significant — the Dallas Stars are highly likely to dominate this encounter.
