Predators coach Peter Laviolette stays one step ahead — Kevin Fiala is back for Game 5

Another day, another Peter Laviolette chess move.

Raise your hand if, like me, you’ve been playing checkers and can’t keep up with the lineup decisions Laviolette is making from game to game in the Western Conference semifinals. Raise your hand if, like me, you’re done questioning them until one of them actually backfires.

Kevin Fiala was back in for Saturday’s crucial, late Game 5 at Bridgestone Arena. Scott Hartnell was back out. There was no discussion of Saturday’s move, according to Fiala, but the messaging has been clear since Laviolette sat him and Hartnell brought some body-battering oomph to Thursday’s series-tying 2-1 win in Winnipeg.

More:Predators' Kevin Fiala expected to return to lineup against Winnipeg Jets

“I just saw it today on the lineup,” Fiala said before Saturday's game of his return to the second line, “and I’m just happy about that, just ready to go.”

Fiala said he was told of the Game 4 switch that he needs to be more competitive, win more puck battles, pay more mind to the little things that can help unleash his offensive skills — skills that helped him deliver a picturesque goal to win Game 2 in double overtime. Saturday was Fiala's opportunity to become the latest Nashville player to respond positively to such an ego hit.

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Ryan Hartman has done so since he was a healthy scratch in Game 6 at Colorado and Game 1 of this series. Hartnell delivered Thursday in just his second appearance of the playoffs, and now he’s back in reserve until needed again. Whenever Calle Jarnkrok returns from injury, someone else will be sitting.

“At the start of the playoffs we all had a team meeting about it, and we all knew it was going to take everybody,” said Hartman, whose play on the fourth line since his return has been impactful. “There was going to be certain times for certain games, certain series, we were going to need certain guys. And we all know that. We’ve all bought into what’s going on. And obviously Kevin is going to be ready to go tonight.”

That’s simply the expectation in the room. It is not that simple in every room in this league.

“Here’s the situation, we have 15 forwards that can play every night and eight D-men that can play every night,” Preds defenseman Mattias Ekholm said before Saturday’s game. “There’s only 12 forwards and six D-men who are going to be dressed every night. So obviously there’s some pissed-off guys that aren’t in the lineup, and then whenever they get the opportunity to come in, it seems like they’re doing the best job they can do. They’re trying to stay in the lineup. And I just think that’s great for everyone to see, that the competition is that hard, and that if you take your foot off the gas even a little bit, you might sit out a game.”

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Does Fiala agree that his compete level has needed a boost?

“Sometimes maybe, yeah,” he said before Game 5. “But right now I’m just looking forward to this game.”

The Jets also saw a change in Game 5, with forward Mathieu Perreault returning after suffering an upper-body injury in Game 1 of the first round against Minnesota. That’s another weapon, 17 goals and 39 assists this season, to supplement a lineup full of them.

Laviolette, for his part, refused to comment on his lineup before the game, but he did say Fiala has been “part of the fabric of our team.”

More:Why Predators turned to Scott Hartnell over Kevin Fiala against Winnipeg Jets

It wasn't a big surprise that Fiala returned quickly. It was a bit surprising to me that Hartnell was out after the way he played in Game 4. But Laviolette has said it more than once and is saying it loudly with his actions — he loves the way the fourth line of Hartman, Mike Fisher and Miikka Salomaki is playing right now.

Hartnell could slide in for Salomaki and give that line more size and more of a scoring threat in front of the net. But Salomaki has better speed, looks to hit everything in sight — without going to the box — and is making smart puck decisions. Raise your hand if you can see what Laviolette was thinking here, even if none of us can guess what he’ll do next.

Contact Joe Rexrode at jrexrode@tennessean.com and follow him on Twitter @joerexrode.