Is the Preds’ “Game 1 loss” record as bad as it sounds?

When the Nashville Predators dropped Game 1 in Vancouver on Sunday night, people–understandably–brought out the history. The Preds have yet to win a series after losing Game 1; they’re 0-12 (0-13 if you count the best-of-five qualifying round during the bubble in 2020).

Why Winning Game 1 Matters

Winning Game 1 matters because, well, you have a series lead.

Often, the better team wins a hockey game; many times, the better team wins a best-of-seven series. There’s a very strong correlation, in general, between winning Game 1 and winning the series, but that’s because it’s always better to be leading than trailing. Winning the first game to win the series works on the same principle as scoring…