Schedule and 2011-12 Results
Regular Season Records: Nashville 48-26-8=104pts, Detroit 48-28-6=102pts
Game 1 on Wednesday, 11 April: Detroit loses at Nashville, 3-goals-2
Game 2 on Friday, 13 April: Detroit wins at Nashville, 3-goals-2
Game 3 on Sunday, 15 April: Nashville wins at Detroit, 3-goals-2
Game 4 on Tuesday, 17 April: Nashville wins at Detroit, 3-goals-1
Game 5 on Friday, 20 April: Detroit loses at Nashville, 2-goals-1

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 5: With MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1162 back in Tennessee, the Nashville Predators hosted and defeated the Detroit Red Wings 2-goals-1 to win the series 4-games-1. With the series 1162 win, the Nashville Predators improve their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record to 2-6 overall and 2-5 in the Preliminary round. With the series 1162 loss, the Detroit Red Wings see their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record fall to 54-41 overall and 16-8 in the Preliminary round. The win order for the victorious Nashville Predators was WLWWW: Series 1162 thus becomes the ninth NHL Preliminary-round series, the 35th NHL series (all rounds), and the 74th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow that win order to completion. The Detroit Red Wings have now lost 248 best-of-7 format playoff games, which as of the conclusion of series 1162 is the most among MLB, NBA, and NHL teams. The NHL Boston Bruins, which as of the conclusion of series 1162 were tied 2-games-all with the Washington Capitals in series 1156, had lost 245 such games prior to the start of series 1156. The NHL Montreal Canadiens, which missed the 2012 NHL playoffs, have lost 246 best-of-7 NHL playoff games. Conversely, the Detroit Red Wings have now won 279 best-of-7 format playoff games, which ties them with the NBA Boston Celtics for the third-most best-of-7 format playoff game victories (behind only the NBA Los Angeles Lakers at 310 wins and the NHL Montreal Canadiens at 360 wins).

After Game 4: The Nashville Predators visited and defeated the Detroit Red Wings 3-goals-1 to take a 3-games-1 lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1162. The Nashville Predators thus take a 3-games-1 lead in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series for the first time in team history. When trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-1, the Detroit Red Wings have a 2-16 series record (with an active four-series losing streak) and a 7-11 Game 5 record. Detroit last rallied from a 3-games-1 deficit to win a best-of-7 NHL playoff series in the 1992 NHL Preliminary round, in series 605 against the old Minnesota North Stars.

After Game 3: With MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1162 now in Michigan, the Nashville Predators visited and defeated the Detroit Red Wings 3-goals-2 to take a 2-games-1 series 1162 lead. When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Nashville Predators have a 1-1 series record and a 0-2 Game 4 record. When trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Detroit Red Wings have a 12-18 series record (with an active three-series winning streak) and a 15-15 Game 4 record (with an active six-Game 4 winning streak).

After Game 2: The Nashville Predators hosted and were defeated by the Detroit Red Wings 3-goals-2; MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1162 is now tied 1-game-all. So it is that series 1162 becomes the first 2012 NHL Preliminary-round playoff series to be knotted at 1-game-all after the first two games. When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the Detroit Red Wings have a series record of 20-16 and a Game 3 record of 17-19, while the Nashville Predators have a series record of 1-4 and a Game 3 record of 2-3.

After Game 1: The Nashville Predators hosted and defeated the Detroit Red Wings 3-goals-2 to take a 1-game-nil MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1162 lead. When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Nashville Predators have a 1-2 series record and a 0-3 Game 2 record; when trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Detroit Red Wings have a 16-26 series record and a 20-22 Game 2 record.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2011-12 regular season, Nashville finished two points ahead of Detroit. From 1939 through 2011, when NHL teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by two regular-season points, they have posted a 13-12 (.520) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1162 is the 95th best-of-7 playoff series for Detroit, and the eighth for Nashville. In best-of-7 playoff series, Detroit has a 54-40 series record, a 16-7 Preliminary-round series record, and a 52-42 Game 1 record, while Nashville has a 1-6 series record, a 1-5 Preliminary-round series record, and a 3-4 Game 1 record. Series 1162 is the third best-of-7 NHL playoff series meeting between Detroit and Nashville; Detroit won the first two.