Yes, it's 3-1 Nashville heading into Game Five tomorrow night. You are allowed to feel good, dear Preds fan, but let's not get too cocky.

This is still Detroit, despite some injuries and issues, the Wings have played well in this series. But I also think the odds are in Nashville's favor that the Preds may indeed close it out soon.

First of all, I believe that Nicklas Lidstrom simply isn't 100%. I know we won't know the truth until after the season. Even at 70 or 80% he's still awesome and very effective. But I do know that any time you have an ankle injury it limits your mobility in several ways and Lidstrom is playing through it. Plus, missing Darren Helm doesn't help the Wings at all right now; his absence forces Detroit to play Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg a lot more on the PK, which forces them to use a lot of energy away from the offensive end.

For Nashville, Pekka Rinne is obviously the biggest factor in the series. Don't overlook Nashville's defensive efforts to block shots and get in the lanes too. Pekka can't do it all by himself and the Predators have certainly helped him out at key times. The upside is that Hal Gill hasn't played a single game in this series and the Preds have managed to get it to 3-1. I like to think of how much better the Preds will be when he returns! (And Gill has been skating hard the last two Preds practices, Tuesday's morning skate in Detroit and today's session at Centennial)

Also, look for new linemates Alexander Radulov and Gabriel Bourque to flourish together. I think the games they play will compliment each other very well… Bourque is turning into another Patric Hornqvist, a guy Barry Trotz can put on a line to make better and more energetic. Keep an eye on these two if they're paired up for Game Five!

And with that, let's be loud Friday night!