The Predators are in it. Not comfortably, not cleanly, but they're in it, and for a team that spent parts of this season looking like it might be on the outside looking in, that's meaningful. Roman Josi has been exactly what Roman Josi always is - the best defenseman in this franchise's history having another elite season while everyone else figures out their role around him. The question is whether the pieces around him are good enough to make a real run.

Filip Forsberg is the offensive identity of this team and when he's healthy and clicking with his linemates, the Predators have a different level of danger. Jonathan Marchessault was supposed to add the secondary punch this group needed, and he's been a solid addition. The goaltending - whoever is carrying the starts right now - has had to be reliable in a way that makes the margin thin.

Bridgestone Arena has been loud this year in the games that matter, which is what you want from a hockey market that has been through some lean stretches. Grabbing tickets for a late home game now is the move - the Smashville atmosphere with something at stake is unlike most other buildings in the league. Nashville fans have been through enough tight races to know how to show up. The Preds aren't done yet. Whether "not done" becomes something more depends on the next few weeks and how they respond when the road gets hard.