The Predators will open the Stanley Cup playoffs at home next week with two games against an undetermined opponent.
The tremendous success of the Predators’ unexpected Stanley Cup Final run last season can be tied to its novelty.
Nashville embraced the team like never before. With each passing playoff series, fan support swelled and captured international attention. Watch parties outside Bridgestone Arena, which began as respectable gatherings attended by diehards, ballooned into Broadway-clogging events.
"I really think last year was a lightning-in-a-bottle kind of thing," said Scott Barry, better known by his wrestling-inspired "Ultimate Predator" alter ego. "It was the first. There were a lot of firsts happening, and everybody wanted to be a part of the first and wanted to be a part of the excitement."
Last year, the Predators unexpected Stanley Cup run saw a lot of fanfare. This year, the team is looking to go even bigger to surpass expectations.
That's the challenge that the Predators have long been preparing for. How will they create similar buzz when the playoffs start next week now that an expectation has been set?
"There's no doubt matching last year is going to be hard," Predators president and CEO Sean Henry said. "But it's also why we're probably investing two-and-a-half times what we did last year into our game entertainment. ... We're going to be doing some things that I don't think have been done before in our sport."
Henry didn't divulge any specifics, but hinted at an impressive pregame presentation that will be capped off each night by the return of star-studded national anthem performances.
Carrie Underwood, the first of 11 high-profile country artists to sing last season, promised “great surprises" in an email to The Tennessean earlier this week.
"The only way I can think to make it bigger and try to keep that attention span is to make it bigger," Barry said.
Most importantly, the Predators are better this season, which should generate more excitement at the outset of the postseason.
The Predators were an eighth-seeded underdog last season, starting each of their four series on the road.
As they prepare for their regular-season finale against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, they've already clinched the NHL's best record and home-ice advantage throughout the entirety of the playoffs.
The Predators will host Game 1 at Bridgestone Arena on either Wednesday or Thursday against the Colorado Avalanche or St. Louis Blues.
"We can put on a great show, but the real show happens when the puck drops," Henry said. "This is the most talented team we've ever had. There are two things that are slightly better than last year going for us — the team we have on the ice (and the fact) we've all walked through this experience now."