Preds Clinch Playoff Spot After Falling to Flames in Overtime

They're in.
Despite a 5-4 overtime loss to the Calgary Flames on Tuesday, the Nashville Predators still clinched their spot in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs by the end of the night.
A point gained by the Preds, coupled with a shootout loss from the Vegas Golden Knights in Dallas, gave Nashville a berth in the postseason for the eighth consecutive year, a mark that is tied for the second-longest active streak in the NHL.

The game against the Predators and Flames was one of the most entertaining outings all season for Nashville as they closed out their home schedule at Bridgestone Arena, but after Calgary tied the game at 4-4 with just one tenth of a second remaining in regulation time, the visitors took the win in OT.
Predators goaltender Juuse Saros, who left the game in the third period with an apparent injury, did not return and was replaced by netminder David Rittich. Preds Head Coach John Hynes did not have an update on Saros's condition following the game.
However, a contest that ended in shocking fashion for the Predators was soon softened by another result in Dallas that allowed Nashville to ultimately punch their ticket to the playoffs.
"I really liked our team tonight," Hynes said. "I thought our guys played really hard, and it was a hard-fought game. It was really a playoff-style game, and there were a lot of momentum swings... We talked all year long about both mental and physical toughness and making sure that we can play our best and be really competitive when the stakes are high. I thought tonight was a high-stakes game, and it was very competitive by both teams.
"And I think obviously with what happened with Dallas and Vegas, I think it's a real tribute to our players. We certainly deserve to be in the playoffs the way that we've played all year and the way that the guys have battled. No one picked us to be here, and we talked about writing our own story and having a strong team identity and a strong team culture, along with a lot of talent. And I think the guys certainly deserve it. They've worked their butts off for 80 games to get here. So, I'm really happy for our group. They deserve it. They worked hard all year long, and now we get to play in the best time of year."
The Flames had a 1-0 lead after one period of play thanks to a goal from Dillon Dube, but the animosity was also high between the two clubs with a potential first-round matchup looming. The Preds and Flames combined for 34 penalty minutes in the first period alone, but those altercations also energized the home crowd - and the team in Gold responded.

First, Roman Josi stepped into the slot off a faceoff and hammered home his 22nd of the season, and less than three minutes later, Matt Duchene took advantage of a friendly bounce and deposited the puck into the twine for No. 42 on the campaign and a 2-1 lead.
However, Dube got his second of the night before the middle frame was out, and the third period brought more feverish action. Two goals from FIlip Forsberg - both on the power play - gave him his 41st and 42nd tallies of the season, but the Flames evened the score twice in that final stanza, including the tying strike from Calgary's Matthew Tkachuk with 0.1 on the clock.

Then, Elias Lindholm beat Rittich in overtime to give the Flames the extra point and bring an end to a pair of contests over the span of a week between Nashville and Calgary, a matchup that would certainly provide plenty of entertainment if they meet in Round One.
"Obviously a highly intense, physical match from minute one all the way until the end," Forsberg said. "It stinks with the way it ended, but we've got a lot of things that we can take with us to be proud of."
"We definitely don't like each other much," Josi said of facing the Flames. "I mean, you could tell on the ice, and like I said, I thought our guys stepped up all year. Guys are fighting and guys are stepping up for each other, and I loved our effort."
Now, the Preds will turn their focus to a pair of contests on the road - at Colorado and at Arizona - to close out the regular season, but they won't be forgetting Tuesday's events anytime soon, especially since they're heading home playoff bound.
"If you look at tonight's game, I think our players deserve to be where we're at, and we've earned it," Hynes said. "As I've said, we've done it on team identity and team culture. We've had great performances throughout the year from a lot of our older players that are counted on to be high producers and drivers of our team and our culture. Then, we've integrated a lot of young players into our team, and I think we're one of the top young teams in the League. Our veteran leadership did an unbelievable job this year to be able to drive the bus, and our young guys came in and had some growing pains at certain times, but also were big reasons why we're here. We worked hard to get here, and the players certainly deserve and earned the right to be able to now compete for the Stanley Cup.

Notes:

Prior to Tuesday's game, the Preds recalled forward Mathieu Olivier from Milwaukee. Olivier dressed for Nashville against the Flames, while forwards Eeli Tolvanen and Matt Luff, as well as defensemen Ben Harpur and Jeremy Davies, were scratched.
With their home schedule now complete, the Predators will head out on the road for their final two games of the regular season. Nashville will face the Avalanche in Colorado on Thursday before concluding the campaign on Friday night in Arizona against the Coyotes. The Preds will then travel from Arizona to their postseason destination with the playoffs set to begin next week.