Predators are elite: Just ask Coyotes Nik Hjalmarsson, Richard Panik

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Niklas Hjalmarsson and Richard Panik got a close-up look at the juggernaut that is the Nashville Predators in last season’s Stanley Cup playoffs.

Both players were members of the Chicago Blackhawks, the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed, when they faced No. 8 seed Nashville in the first round. Nashville swept the Hawks, allowing three goals in four games.

“They play with a lot of speed,” Hjalmarsson said. “I think that’s what stands out the most with that team. They have a good way to create offense from their defense, too. They have a couple effective guys on the back end in combination with having a goalie in Pekka [Rinne] who is having a great year again.

“They have a lot of good qualities.”

The Coyotes are 11-3-2 in their past 16 games. It’s easily their best stretch of the season and a stark contrast to the start of the season, but only six of those 16 games came against teams currently in a playoff position and only two came against a team currently in the top 10 (Minnesota is eighth, San Jose is ninth) in the NHL standings.

Nashville is a different story. The Predators (45-14-10), who face the Coyotes at Gila River Arena on Thursday, are 11-0-1 in their past 12 games and sit atop the NHL standings with 100 points in 69 games. That is the fewest games needed in franchise history to reach 100 points in a season.

Since Feb. 8, the Predators (28) and Tampa Bay Lightning (25) are the only teams with more points than the Coyotes (24).

A big test of Arizona’s progress? You bet.

“They have four really good lines, everybody can score on their team, unreal D and a really good goaltender,” said Panik, who like many NHL analysts, can’t name a better blue line than Nashville’s.

“When I think about the last playoffs, I don’t think so,” Panik said. “They played so good defensively. I think that’s the hardest defense to play against. They make simple plays. They are out of their zone quickly and they play tight in front of their goalie. This is going to be a test for us. We’ve been playing really good lately, but we have to stick with our system and the way we want to play.”

The Predators are on a late-season tear as they prepare for a potential run to their second straight Stanley Cup Final. They have scored four goals or more in seven of their past 10 games. They have allowed two goals or fewer in eight of their past 12 games.

Nashville does not have a player among the league’s top 50 in points or top 25 in goals, but 10 players have 30 points or more and Nashville boasts three defenseman among the league’s top 40 in points. P.K. Subban is seventh with 50, Roman Josi is 13th with 46, Mattias Ekholm is 39th with 31 and Ryan Ellis has 23 points in 31 games after returning from offseason knee surgery on Jan. 2.

“There’s a couple teams that compete with them for the best defense,” Hjalmarsson said. “Tampa is definitely one of the after they got [Ryan] McDonagh and there are a few other teams, but they are definitely top four or five.

“They have a couple of guys that are really comfortable with the puck. They don’t panic too easily. They make plays and they trust each other.”

With the addition of center and former Coyote Kyle Turris, and the return of Mike Fisher for a potential Cup run, the Predators are deep down the middle with Ryan Johansen and Nick Bonino rounding out the top four. They have enviable depth and skill on the wings, led by Filip Forsberg (18 goals, 49 points) and Viktor Arvidsson (26 goals, 52 points). Rinne is having a Vezina Trophy-caliber season with a .929 save percentage that ranks second among goalies who have played at least 35 games.

“We have a couple of those top teams left on the schedule that we’re going to play,” Hjalmarsson said. “We have Tampa, too, on the road.

“It’s going to be a fun challenge for us to kind of show ourselves and maybe get some more respect in the league that we can actually hang with the best teams in the league.”

Predators at Coyotes
When: 7 p.m., Thursday
Where: Gila River Arena, Glendale
TV: FOX Sports Arizona Plus
Radio: ESPN 620 AM
Records: Predators — 45-14-10. Coyotes — 23-35-11.
Season series: Tied, each team is 1-0-1.
Injury report: Predators — The status of F Calle Jarnkrok (right arm) has not been updated. Coyotes — F Zac Rinaldo (upper body) and G Antti Raanta (lower body) are day to day. C Laurent Dauphin (lower body) is out indefinitely.

Predators scouting report: Nashville is tied with Tampa Bay for the most points in the NHL (100). … The Predators are 11-0-1 in their past 12 games. … Forward Viktor Arvidsson leads the team with 26 goals and 52 points. … The Coyotes beat Nashville 3-2 in overtime at Gila River Arena on Jan. 4. Nashville beat the Coyotes 3-2 in a shootout at Bridgestone Arena on Jan. 18.

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