When the Nashville Predators need a player to step up against a Central Division rival, Filip Forsberg rises to the challenge.
It is no secret that Filip Forsberg is having a great season. Nashville's representative to the All Star game is on pace for one of his best years. Forsberg is currently projected to top his career points total set back in 2021-2022 and flirt with his career high 42 goals in that same season. The 29-year-old Swedish forward is tied for 13th in the entire league for goals and tied for 14th in the league in points. As a part of the Predators' standout top line with Ryan O'Reilly and Gustav Nyquist, Forsberg has six game winning goals in 44 games including three impressive overtime winners.
Part of Forsberg's success this season can be attributed to a new style of play that is tailor-made for his skill set. Forsberg is a deceptively strong, physical forward, but his speed, playmaking, scoring ability, and tricky release are showcased in a more offensively minded, faster style of play. Forsberg's 22 goals and 48 points leads the Predators this season, and with this new system under Andrew Brunette, it doesn't appear Forsberg's production will trail off anytime soon.
While these stats may not surprise Predators fans, Jonathan Tovell of The Hockey News dug deeper into the numbers of the leagues best skaters and found that when it comes to stepping up in games against Division rivals, Forsberg is one of the best in the NHL.
Forsberg's stats this season:
Against other divisions: 32 games played, 11 goals, 19 assists, 30 points, plus-4
Against own division: 12 games played, 11 goals, seven assists, 18 points, plus-3
Five of Forsberg's six multi goal outings have come in critical divisional games against teams like the Dallas Stars, Winnipeg Jets, Arizona Coyotes, St. Louis Blues, and Colorado Avalanche.
In a season in which the Western Conference may be the most competitive, Forsberg's play against Central Division teams could make the difference between getting into the postseason in the team's first year of a "reset" under new GM Barry Trotz and packing up when the regular season ends.
Nashville will need more of that Forsberg magic down the stretch. The Predators face the Arizona Coyotes and Minnesota Wild before the All Star break and then play four Central Division games in February, five in March, and finished the season with three divisional match ups in April. If Forsberg can continue to dominate in divisional play, Nashville will gain those all important points in the Central.