Successful Duck Hunt

It just might have been the first time the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl was accepted by a man in a suit.  That was the case Monday night when the Nashville Predators defeated the Anaheim Ducks to advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in franchise history.
Mike Fisher, the team captain, was injured in game 4, so had to watch from the luxury box the last two games.

As it has become tradition, Fisher did not touch the Campbell Bowl, nor did anyone else on the team.  It is not the trophy that they want and would not make up if they fail to get four more wins.  However, it didn't stop the team, including injured centre, Ryan Johansen, from gathering around the trophy and taking a picture.  The last time I could remember anyone picking up the Campbell Bowl was when a very joyful Vancouver Canucks' captain Trevor Linden in 1994.  He dropped the lid to the bowl when he lifted it up.

In the absence of the team's top two centres, other players needed to step up these last two games.  It was Pontus Aberg last game, scoring the game winner.  On this night, it was Colton Sissons, recording a natural hat-trick, including the game winner after the Ducks had come back to tie up the game at 3-3.

Nashville got the start any team would want, scoring just 1:21 into the 1st period on its very first shot.  They would go up 2-0 a few minutes later on only its second shot.  The roar inside the Bridgestone Arena was deafening.

It was not John Gibson in net for the Ducks.  Out with a lower body injury, the Ducks would rely on former first round draft pick and highly touted goalie prospect, Jonathan Bernier, to force a game 7.  Bernier needed to stop the second goal that was scored by Sissons, but it's hard to say that it would have made a difference if it had been the Ducks regular starter.

At the other end, Pekka Rinne, simply outshone Bernier.  He would have done the same to Gibson.  He stopped 38 of the 41 shots directed his way.  The Finnish goalie leads the playoffs with an outstanding 1.70 GAA and .941 save percentage, along with 12 wins.  To say he's been the best goalie of the playoffs is an understatement.

The final 6-3 score makes it seem more of a blowout, but the final 2 goals were scored into an empty net, sealing Anaheim's fate.  The Predators had themselves a 3-1 lead before the Ducks managed to come back.  But, Sissons final goal of the night had Nashville minutes away from winning the west.

This would have seemed impossible just a few years ago when the team was on shaky ground.  Local ownership stepped in and prevented the team from possibly moving.  The small market team then got good through smart drafting and trades.  Predators first and only general manager, David Poile, and his staff (some of whom have been with him since day 1) deserve an incredible amount of credit for putting this team that is very capable of winning the Stanley Cup together.

And the fans should be given credit for fully embracing hockey in the south.  No more is it just Nascar country.  It's become hockey country, as well.

Welcome to Smashville.

On The Brink

The Nashville Predators put on a gutsy performance Saturday evening, winning 3-1 over the Ducks in Anaheim.  They were without their top 2 centres.  We already knew on Friday that Ryan Johansen's season was done, having injured his leg in game 4, that required surgery.
He suffered an acute compartment syndrome of the left thigh.

Mike Fisher was also hurt in game 4.  The Predators' captain was struck in the jaw by an errant knee from Ducks defenceman, Josh Manson, jumped in an attempt to bat a puck that was in the air.

The Ducks had their own injury woes, as the team's second leading scorer in the playoffs, Rickard Rakell, with a lower body injury.  He won't be ready to play in game 6, nor Patrick Eaves, who also has a lower body injury.

Of even greater concern would be the status of the team's starting netminder.  John Gibson left after the first period in game 5.  No reason was given, but it was suggested that he might have injured his right knee when video replay showed he might have stretched out his right leg awkwardly against the post.  He commented that he would be ready to go for game 6 following the game, though head coach, Randy Carlyle, was non-committal until Gibson was evaluated by team doctors.

Nashville now have the chance to punch their ticket to their very first Stanley Cup Final appearance at home.  There shouldn't be an empty seat in the building, with every single fan decked out in yellow.

Not to jinx them or anything, but when the regular season started way back in October, the Nashville Predators were predicted by EA Sports to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup.  They were once game predicted to win before the playoffs began using the 16 teams that made the post season.  Five more wins and those predictions become true.

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Part of the story line during the Eastern Conference Final were all the injuries to key players in which the Pittsburgh Penguins were having to deal with.  They've gotten some of them back as the series went on, while others went on the IR.  

Now, it's the other way around.  Three very important players for the Senators left the game early.  Erick Karlsson, Cody Ceci, and Derick Brassard were all done after the second period.  It's would be a huge blow for Ottawa if any of them, let alone all three, were unavailable for game 6, as they face elimination.  Even with them, they would be in tough as the Penguins have finally figured them out.

More than Matt Murray providing the Penguins' solid netminding as he took over for Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh were able to finally break through Ottawa's frustrating defence, mainly by taking the lead in game 4, forcing Ottawa to open things up, which played right into the more skillful Penguins.  Ottawa eventually scored twice in the third period, but were unable to tie the game up, losing 3-2.

In game 5, Ottawa did themselves in.  Turnovers, turnovers, and more turnovers lead to goals by Pittsburgh.  They had 4 before the 1st period was over, chasing Sens' goalie, Craig Anderson, twice.  Once after the Penguins took a 3-0 at the sixteen minute mark, then for good after the 1st intermission.

Before we go on saying the Senators' Cinderella run will be coming to an end, we should remember how resilient the team has been through this years playoffs.  They have come back in games to win in overtime.  People thought they were done after being embarrassed by the New York Rangers in games 3 and 4 of the second round.  They bounced back to reach the Eastern Conference Final.

It will be tough.  Tougher if the team loses any of its top players.  But, it's not entirely impossible that there will be a game 7 back in Pittsburgh.  Know this: Ottawa will bring it at home on Tuesday.

Best In The West

After becoming public enemy number 1 in the province of Alberta, dispatching the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers in successive series, the Anaheim Ducks now move on to play the Nashville Predators in the Western Conference.  The Preds, as the 8th seed (if the NHL were to still seed teams) surprisingly swept the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1st round, before taking care of the St. Louis Blues in six games in round 2.  It will be a rematch from a year ago, when they met in the 1st round.  The Predators were the latest team to have beaten the Ducks in a game 7 at the Honda Center, until Anaheim was able to break that curse this year against Edmonton.

The Predators have one of the best defense in the league, led by Roman Josi, Ryan Ellis, and P.K. Subban.  The group can also get it done offensively, having scored 9 goals and 27 points total so far, numbers that will no doubt continue to go up.  In fact, they might need to, as the Predators big 3 in Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg, and Viktor Arvidsson were effectively shut down by the Blues in round 1.  Then again, the threesome put up big numbers against the Blackhawks in the opening round.  If they get going, then the Ducks will be in tough.

Down 2-0 to the Oilers last round, Ducks' captain, Ryan Getzlaf, decided to man up, put his team on his back, and carried them to a 3-2 win and getting them back into the series.  He was a man on a mission for the rest of the series, even bringing Corey Perry back from the doldrums.  Stop him and the Predators win make even more history by reaching their first ever Stanley Cup Final.

In net, hands down, the edge goes to Pekka Rinne and the Predators.  The long serving Predators' goaltender leads the playoffs in goals against (1.37), save percentage (.951), and shutouts (2).  The man is so good, he even recorded 2 assists against the Blackhawks.

John Gibson showed resilience after getting pulled twice, and playing great in net for Anaheim.  After giving up a strange opening goal in game 7 against Edmonton, Gibson shut the door the rest of the way.  As great as his ability to bounce back, that can not happen again if the Ducks are to reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since they won it all in 2007 against the Ottawa Senators.

Prediction: Nashville in 6.