"I don't know what more you can say … it's our season on the line," the Predators defenseman said. "We've been working. We've been throwing everything we have at this. It'll be no different tonight. We'll be expecting the best out of us, and we'll be leaving it all out there."
The same could be said of the Flames. When they play the Predators, they will be in a similar circumstance.
Calgary and Nashville each trails the Winnipeg Jets (44-32-3) for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. The Flames (37-27-16) are one point back with the Jets holding one game in hand. The Predators (40-31-8) are three points behind the Jets, and each has three games left.
The Predators or Flames can be eliminated from playoff contention with a regulation loss and if the Jets get one point at home against the San Jose Sharks (7 p.m. ET; SNW, NBCSCA, ESPN+, SN NOW). If either lose in overtime or a shootout, they would be eliminated with a Winnipeg victory.
"There's always pressure, and it's just the way that you take it," Calgary forward Milan Lucic said. "I've always been a guy with the attitude to embrace challenges like this, have fun with them. One of the sayings someone once said was, 'In situations like this where there's pressure, don't feel the pressure … apply the pressure.' That's something we've got to do.
"In order for us to get the result we want tonight, we've got to make sure our preparation is there, and we bring our 'A' game because it's going to be like a Game 7 here."
The Predators had a chance Saturday to move past the Jets but lost 2-0 in Winnipeg. They now face another team they're chasing in what amounts to a must-win game.
But they said they don't feel the pressure.
"That's going to come with the territory right now," Predators forward Colton Sissons said. "I really don't think it's going to impact us tonight. We do a pretty good job in this locker room staying focused on the things that we can control and all we can control is playing a [real] good hockey game tonight against the Flames, and hopefully coming out with two points."
The door remains slightly ajar for each team with Winnipeg sputtering during the second half of the season. The Jets are 15-18-2 since they were a conference-best 29-14-1 on Jan. 16.
The Predators are 10-8-2 since the NHL Trade Deadline on March 3. They were eight points back March 1. Their ability to linger comes after selling in the days leading up to the deadline, when they traded defenseman Mattias Ekholm to the Edmonton Oilers, forward Mikael Granlund to the Pittsburgh Penguins, forward Tanner Jeannot to the Tampa Bay Lightning and forward Nino Niederreiter to the Jets.
It's also impressive how the Predators are playing without four key players because of injury, defenseman Roman Josi (upper body, 12 games missed), and forwards Filip Forsberg (upper body, 29), Matt Duchene (upper body, seven), and Ryan Johansen (lower body, 24).
"It's been a collective effort," Sissons said. "Some of the veterans that have been around have been helping out big time. Just all these young guys, they've got so much energy and so much life. They don't know any better in some sort of way. They've just been playing great hockey and we're finding different ways to win. It's not always pretty. The analytics probably aren't always on our side, but we find a way, and here we are still in the fight."
The Flames are 10-5-3 in 18 games since the deadline. They have remained relatively healthy outside of a six-game absence from defenseman Chris Tanev from March 21-April 2 because of an upper-body injury. Michael Stone returned April 2 after the defenseman missed 19 games with a lower-body injury.
"Basically, if we lose, we're out," Calgary forward Jonathan Huberdeau said. "We've got to win and that's it. Focus on tonight. We know they're a good team. They've been playing well. With all the injuries they have, the guys, they're working hard and they're a tough team to play against.
"It's more about us. You don't want to be stressful. You want to play your own game and do what's best for you and play well."
