The Nashville Predators returned from a quick road trip to Chicago with a newfound sense of hope; the team had won five straight, and had launched themselves back into the playoff race. Despite the freshly created optimism, the team’s next two games would be crucial in determining whether or not the Preds could bring this season back from the dead and make the postseason.
The Dallas Stars, of “Corey Perry is the worst” fame, were lurking in the shadows of the Central Division. Despite their seventh-place 31 points, they had four games in hand on the Predators.