Why the Predators are suddenly losing

The word "slump" is not one the Predators have had to use much this season, and it's one they'd like to stop referencing soon.

They've lost a season-high four in a row heading into Thursday's game against the New York Islanders at Bridgestone Arena. The slide accounts for a quarter of Nashville's regulation losses all season.

Here are five possible reasons the Predators have stumbled during the past week:

First-goal failures. Overcoming an opponent's first goal is no easy task in the NHL. In fact, only three teams — Islanders, Red Wings and Predators — have more regulation wins than losses after giving up the game's first goal.

As good as the Predators have been in that department (19-16-3), they have been unable to overcome a recent rash of first goals allowed. They have given up the opening goal in nine consecutive games, posting a record of 3-5-1.

Fatigue. When the Predators are at their best, they're an attacking, up-tempo team that aggressively forechecks its opponents and swarms the puck. Trying to keep up that pace during a stretch of 20 games in 36 nights — as the Predators just completed — can be challenging, so it's possible there are some tired legs, especially among some of the older forwards.

Starting next week, the Predators will play only three games per week for the final five weeks of the regular season. That's a significant change from playing four games a week for four of five weeks, as they will have done by the time they finish playing Winnipeg on Saturday.

Scoring droughts. The Predators have relied on their top two lines for the vast majority of their forward scoring, but a number of those players have gone dry at the same time. During the four-game losing streak, for instance, the foursome of Colin Wilson, James Neal, Mike Ribeiro and Filip Forsberg had a combined zero goals and one assist.

Mike Fisher, Matt Cullen and Craig Smith all chipped in offensively during the slide, but it wasn't enough. The Predators were outscored 15-7 over the past four games.

Power-play problems. When teams are struggling to score five-on-five goals, it's nice to be able to get a boost from the power play. But that hasn't been the case of late for the Predators, who were just 1-for-12 with the man advantage over the past four games.

Over the past eight games they went just 2-for-27 on the power play and posted a 2-5-1 record.

Lack of trade boost. The Predators weren't expecting defenseman Cody Franson and forward Mike Santorelli to lift the team on their shoulders. But I think they probably expected a bit more of a boost out of the pair acquired from Toronto last month.

Franson has two assists and a plus-two rating in seven games, but he was a part of the third defensive pairing Tuesday in New Jersey and saw just 11:53 ice time. Santorelli has one assist and a minus-two rating in seven games.

Reach John Glennon at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter @glennonsports.

NEXT GAME

ISLANDERS at PREDATORS

When: 7 p.m. Thursday

TV/radio: Fox TN / 102.5-FM