Looking Back at Nashville's Best Playoff Wins: 2018 Game 4 vs. Winnipeg Jets
The Nashville Predators kick off the 2026-27 season in 34 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. 34 - 2018 Game 4: Nashville Predators vs. Winnipeg Jets
The Nashville Predators entered the 2018 NHL Playoffs with the top seed in the Western Conference and took down the Colorado Avalanche in six games in the fist round. The Predators squared up with the Winnipeg Jets in the second round, after winning the regular season series three games to two.
The Jets took Game 1 and Game 3, putting the Predators into a 2-1 hole entering Bell MTS Place for Game 4.
Nashville got the action going late in the first period when Mike Fisher won a faceoff in the Jets' offensive zone. Yannick Weber took the faceoff from the blue line and fired at the net, but the puck didn't make it through the traffic. Instead, the put bounced in front of the goal as Winnipeg defenders looked to clear it. Ryan Hartman found himself in the middle of the fray and swiped the puck at the goal, past Connor Hellebuyck to get the visitors on the board.
The Predators dented the scoreboard again late in the second period as Nashville converted a power play. The puck found P.K. Subban and the point and the defender faked a slapshot before passing to Filip Forsberg to get the goaltender moving. Forsberg passed right back to Subban and this time he sent his slapshot to the net under a jumping Mattias Ekholm screening the net.
The Jets used the entire third period but finally cut the Predators lead with under a minute remaining in the game. Winnipeg pulled Hellebuyck in favor of an extra attacker. The Jets won a faceoff in Nashville's zone to Patrik Laine and Laine used a sweeping wrist shot to cut the lead to 2-1.
Winnipeg outshot the Predators 33-29 on the evening and won 58-percent of faceoffs, but Nashville dug in and outhit the Jets 27-23. The Predators blocked more shots and forced more turnovers, getting the series evened with a commitment to the defensive end.
"I think last game, the details are kind of what cost us," Subban said. "This game, we paid attention to all of them for a full 60 (minutes)."
Throwback to May 3, 2018 when the Nashville Predators defeated the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 to tie the second-round series 2-2.
— Joe Gaither (@JoeGaither6) August 17, 2026
Ryan Hartman and P.K. Subban scored, and Pekka Rinne made 32 saves to even it up. pic.twitter.com/ZyvZU2KXtN
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 14th 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
- No. 45 - 2015 Game 5: Nashville Predators vs. Chicago Blackhawks
- No. 44 - 2015 Game 2: Nashville Predators vs. Chicago Blackhawks
- No. 43 - 2008 Game 3: Nashville Predators vs. Detroit Red Wings
- No. 42 - 2008 Game 4: Nashville Predators vs. Detroit Red Wings
- No. 41 - 2004 Game 4: Nashville Predators vs. Detroit Red Wings
- No. 40 - 2017 Game 1: Nashville Predators vs. Chicago Blackhawks
- No. 39 - 2017 Game 2: Nashville Predators vs. Chicago Blackhawks
- No. 38 - 2017 Game 3: Nashville Predators vs. Chicago Blackhawks
- No. 37 - 2016 Game 1: Nashville Predators vs. Anaheim Ducks
- No. 36 - 2016 Game 2: Nashville Predators vs. Anaheim Ducks
- No. 35 - 2016 Game 6: Nashville Predators vs. Anaheim Ducks
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NASHVILLE PREDATORS On SI
Joe Gaither covers the Nashville Predators for Nashville Predators On SI. He also oversees videos and podcasts for Alabama Crimson Tide On SI/BamaCentral. He began his sports media career in radio in 2019, working for three years in Tuscaloosa covering the University of Alabama and other local high school sports. In 2023 he joined BamaCentral to cover a variety of Crimson Tide sports and recruiting, in addition to hosting the “Joe Gaither Show” podcast. His work has also appeared on the Boston College, Miami, Missouri and Vanderbilt college On SI sites.