How would you rank the Blues-Predators rivalry?

I think we’re all good at at focusing on the St. Louis Blues. Considering that the Blues destroyed the Nashville Predators, a Central Division rival, by a final score of 8-3 at Bridgestone Arena on Sunday, I’d like to talk about their rivalry — even though I think it’s small and not big like the one with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Both NHL teams play in the Central Division. As of April 18th, St. Louis (46-20-10) holds a nine-game winning streak and sits in second place in the division, while Nashville (43-28-5) has lost one game and trails in fifth place. Nashville tends to give St. Louis a hard time on the ice. Nashville’s pretty pesky if you ask me.

However, Nashville hasn’t had a good or great season since 2017-18, when they won their first Central Division title and President’s Trophy. The Predators claimed their second division title the following year in 2018-19 but got eliminated by the Dallas Stars in six games in the first round of the playoffs.

The John Haynes era in Nashville has consisted of its ups and downs. Haynes is the third head coach in franchise history; if there was a silver lining, the Predators made back-to-back postseason appearances in 2020 and 2021 against the Arizona Coyotes and Carolina Hurricanes, respectively. Sure, the Preds lost in the first round twice, but they could’ve missed the postseason for both years.

When these two teams play, you should expect some animosity — like if you’re sitting in the stands. Some Blues and Predators fans can get into it with each other. I don’t blame them because their favorite teams sort of share the same playing style and work ethic. And, if they’re old-school, their teams played stubborn defense while getting physical and winning one-on-one battles. I understand why Preds fans throw catfish onto their home ice, but at the same time, I don’t. I think it’s disgusting.

The Blues have six games left in the regular season before the 2022 postseason.

While the Blues won’t play the Predators again, they have other pesky opponents in the Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks, Coyotes, Anaheim Ducks, Colorado Avalanche, and Vegas Golden Knights. But I enjoyed watching the Blues-Preds matchups, and I hope you did too.
Do you have a favorite memory of a Blues-Predators matchup? Let me know in the comments!