Predators still fine-tuning heading into playoffs (Apr 06, 2017)

DALLAS -- When the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars meet Thursday night at American Airlines Center, the Central Division matchup will present an interesting dichotomy for both teams.

On one side sits Nashville (40-28-12), which clinched a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs on Monday night thanks to the Arizona Coyotes defeating the Los Angeles Kings.

And the Predators, who are 16-19-4 on the road this season at the start of a regular-season-ending, two-game road trip, look to fine-tune things before starting the postseason on April 12.

"I want our guys to be doing the right things, to be playing the right way," Predators coach Peter Laviolette said after a 2-1 overtime loss to the New York Islanders at Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday night. "Tonight, I thought we could have been better."

Nashville is 15-11-1 against division foes this season, and the Predators are 5-4-1 over their past 10 games.

Dallas (33-36-11) is on the other side of the proverbial coin, now left to ponder what could have been in what must be characterized as a lost season for the Stars, who were eliminated from playoff contention during a road trip last week.

Early last April, Dallas, which finished the 2015-16 season with 109 points to top the Western Conference, was preparing for the postseason.

However, due to injuries and a host of other factors, the Stars will miss the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. The lack of a postseason appearance puts the status of fourth-year coach Lindy Ruff, whose contract is up at the end of the season, in serious doubt.

"Well, there's a lot of moving parts," Ruff said when characterizing the season after practice Wednesday morning at the arena. "There's a lot of things we didn't expect during the season."

Dallas, which is ending the season with a three-game homestand, started that stretch with a 3-2 overtime win against the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday evening.

Overtime has been a sore subject for Dallas this season, so seeing rookie defenseman Julius Honka, the 14th pick in the 2014 NHL draft, deliver his first career goal as the game-winner in OT was a welcome sight to Ruff.

"He has a lot of tools," Ruff said of Honka. "The defending tool will be the one that has to improve the most. He's a tremendous skater, he's got a great shot. I think he's got a good head for the game when he has the puck."

However, if there has been one positive for the Stars this season it has been their continued success on home ice, where Dallas is 21-12-6.

And with the team concluding the season with a Saturday visit from the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas has three very winnable games to end the campaign. A strong finish would be a nice footnote to what has been an extremely frustrating season for coaches, players and fans alike.

But even with his team eliminated, Ruff's message to the players doesn't change.

"I just keep trying to hammer home that we want to be proud of the way we play, the way we finish, try to get better every day," Ruff said.

Wednesday was team photo day at the arena and Dallas did have one notable absence from practice, young forward Brett Ritchie, currently third on the Stars with 16 goals.

However, Ritchie had a maintenance day Wednesday, and he definitely will be on the ice Thursday for Dallas' penultimate game of the season against the Predators, Ruff said.

Nashville currently occupies the second wild-card playoff spot in the West. If the conference standings finish the way they are now, then the Predators will draw the top-seeded Chicago Blackhawks in the opening round of the postseason.

However, it is not a given that Nashville will face Chicago, which eliminated the Predators in both the 2010 and 2015 playoffs on its way to capturing the Stanley Cup. The West playoff picture is far from set, giving the Thursday game extra meaning for the Predators.