Preds, Sharks look to shake tough luck playoff history
Nashville, San Jose both have had enough of their early exits
The Nashville Predators don’t just have the San Jose Sharks to contend with in Game 7, they will be taking another run at their own glass ceiling.
In 18 years of feisty, hard-nosed Predators hockey, in nine trips to the playoffs in the past 12 seasons, they have never made it past the second round.
Seven games in the second round is already as far as they’ve ever been before, but that’s not nearly deep enough for a team that’s long been determined to prove it’s more than a scrappy underdog that puts up a nice fight or two and then steps aside as the heavyweights take over.
“It’s something that we haven’t done in our history, it would be the next step as a team and an organization,” said 33-year-old goaltender Pekka Rinne, who’s been waiting 10 years to see his team advance to the championship stages of the NHL playoffs.
“This is our lives, our season. You never know when it’s your last opportunity, your last chance.”
What they do know is that this opportunity, one game away from the Western Conference final, is the best one they’ve ever had.
The Predators have always been a solid, well-built organization under GM David Poile, forging a proud culture and strong identity on a modest budget in a non-traditional market.
But beyond that, they’ve never been given a lot of respect over the years, never been seated at the head table with the likes of Los Angeles, Chicago, Anaheim, Pittsburgh and the Rangers.
“We do have a lot of skill and a lot of talent,” said centre Colin Wilson. “But we’ve been kind of an underrated team for a bit.”
“We want to move on, we want to keep playing,” said Filip Forsberg.
“That’s what really drives us. We know what we’re capable of in here. We showed ourselves and everyone else that again (in fighting back to avoid elimination in Game 6).
Now, in Game 7, we’re just going to try and do the same thing again.”
The Preds have already been pressure-tested in these playoffs, winning a Game 7 on the road in Anaheim, and hope it has made them strong enough to withstand what the Sharks have in store for them on Thursday.
“We’ve played three games now, backs against the wall, elimination games, and it helps us for sure, mentally, getting more confidence and more comfortable in these situations,” said Rinne.
“But at the same time it’s also a huge game for San Jose, and they have a great team.”
The Sharks, undefeated on home ice in the post-season, have something to prove as well with past playoff failures.
It’s a challenge the Predators’ organization has been waiting 18 years to accept. Another Nashville two-and-out would be more than they can bear.
“I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves,” said Rinne. “But we have that mindset that we’re going to go there and win that game.” Game 7. Bring it on. “Every series is different, this is a lot different than the first one, but at the same time we’re here, 3-3 going into the seventh game,” said Forsberg. “That’s what everybody dreams about, being in a Game 7, and we’re doing it again.”
It’s something that we haven’t done in our history, it would be the next step as a team and an organization.
Meanwhile, the Sharks only have themselves to blame for having to play a Game 7. And they are. They’ve had plenty of chances to put Nashville away and didn’t do it. And now there’s only chance left. “We’ve got a really good hockey team when guys are playing to their potential, and for long stretches or some stretches of this series, that hasn’t happened,” said Logan Couture.
“Everyone needs to take a look at themselves and bring it in Game 7.”
The Sharks have not faced elimination in this year’s playoffs and their starting goalie, Martin Jones, has never played a Game 7. But they’re at home, where they haven’t lost a game in this year’s playoffs.
Those are good enough odds for their captain.
“It’s a good team over there, we knew the (Predators) weren’t going away,” said Joe Pavelski.
“We just have to go back home and find a way.”