Counting Down the Best Nashville Predators Playoff Wins: 2015 Game 5 vs. Chicago Blackhawks

The Predators fought off elimination with a flurry of goals in Bridgestone arena.

Apr 17, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Nashville Predators center Colin Wilson (33) has a shot blocked by Chicago Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford (50) during the second period in game two of the first round of the the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Nashville Predators kick off the 2026-27 season in 45 days on Sept. 20 with preseason action against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Predators look to end a two-year playoff drought by getting the season off to a good start and starting first-year general manager Chris MacFarland's tenure on a positive note.

The Predators have won 56 NHL playoff games for seven series victories, with one Clarence S. Campbell Trophy in 2017 in the franchise's 28 seasons. Let's round out the offseason by looking back and counting down the most significant playoff wins in franchise history.

No. 45 - 2015 Game 5: Nashville Predators vs. Chicago Blackhawks

The Nashville Predators entered the 2015 NHL Playoffs as the second place team in the Central Division and were matched up against the third place team in the Central Division, the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round.

The Predators lost the regular season series to the Blackhawks three games to two and quickly found their backs against the wall in the first round playoff series down 3-1 with a Game 5 returning to Bridgestone Arena.

Nashville fell behind 1-0 after 13:27 in the first period as Bryan Bickell found Brad Richards at the blue line and Richards carried the puck straight to the net to give the Blackhawks an early advantage. The Predators answered just over a minute later as Filip Forsberg tied the game off a face off with a sweeping wrist shot over Scott Darling's left shoulder.

Throwback to April 23, 2015, when the Nashville Predators defeated the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 5 of their first round series 5-2.

Filip Forsberg scored a hat trick, and the Predators avoided elimination for one more night. pic.twitter.com/5dNzzBXrZZ

— Joe Gaither (@JoeGaither6) August 6, 2026

The Predators exploded after a scoreless second period. James Neal gave Nashville a 2-1 lead with a wrap-around goal just 47 seconds into the third period. Colin Wilson put the game on ice with a goal two minutes later on a Nashville power play. Wilson passed to Mike Ribeiro, then crashed the net, received the puck back from Ribeiro, pivoted into space, and snapped a wrist shot over Darling's right shoulder. Forsberg added the exclamation point with a slapshot 12 seconds later, giving Nashville three goals in the first 3:14 of the final frame.

The Blackhawks never stopped attacking, forcing Pekka Rinne into 28 saves, but the visitors found a second goal when Patrick Kane found Kris Versteeg with a spinning backhanded assist with a little over five minutes remaining.

Forsberg secured the hatrick in the final moments of the game, taking advantage of a Blackhawks turnover with an empty net for an easy finish.

"Obviously, it's always special to get a hat trick, but the most important thing is that we got the win," Forsberg said. "We had to win this game and had to take this series back a little bit ... Now we're going back into Chicago."

The Nashville Predators took down the Dallas Stars in Game 5 of the 2015 NHL Western Conference First Round series

Photo Credit: Frederick Breedon/Getty Images pic.twitter.com/VXNiUASsPg

— Joe Gaither (@JoeGaither6) August 6, 2026

The Predators went to Chicago and dropped Game 6 4-3, but the 2015 playoff run became the first of eight straight postseason appearances that included the franchise's only Stanley Cup appearance.

Nashville Predators All-Time NHL Playoff Victories By Series

2004 R1 vs DET: 2 wins (L 2-4)
2006 R1 vs SJ: 1 win (L 1-4)
2007 R1 vs SJ: 1 win (L 1-4)
2008 R1 vs DET: 2 wins (L 2-4)
2010 R1 vs CHI: 2 wins (L 2-4)
2011 R1 vs ANA: 4 wins (W 4-2)
2011 R2 vs VAN: 2 wins (L 2-4)
2012 R1 vs DET: 4 wins (W 4-1)
2012 R2 vs PHX: 1 win (L 1-4)
2015 R1 vs CHI: 2 wins (L 2-4)
2016 R1 vs ANA: 4 wins (W 4-3)
2016 R2 vs SJ: 3 wins (L 3-4)
2017 R1 vs CHI: 4 wins (W 4-0)
2017 R2 vs STL: 4 wins (W 4-2)
2017 WCF vs ANA: 4 wins (W 4-2)
2017 SCF vs PIT: 2 wins (L 2-4)
2018 R1 vs COL: 4 wins (W 4-2)
2018 R2 vs WPG: 3 wins (L 3-4)
2019 R1 vs DAL: 2 wins (L 2-4)
2020 Qualifying vs ARI: 1 win (L 1-3)
2021 R1 vs CAR: 2 wins (L 2-4)
2022 R1 vs COL: 0 wins (L 0-4)
2024 R1 vs VAN: 2 wins (L 2-4)

This is the third article in a Nashville Predators On SI series counting down the 47 most significant playoff wins in Nashville Predators history.

• No. 47 - 2019 Game 2: Nashville Predators vs. Dallas Stars
• No. 46 - 2019 Game 3: Nashville Predators vs. Dallas Stars

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