After ousting Avs, Predators brace for physical Jets
DENVER — The Nashville Predators are done dealing with the speed of Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche.
Next, they get the physicality of Dustin Byfuglien and the Winnipeg Jets . There’s no easy test this time of year. “They’ve got size. They’ve got skill. They’ve got speed,” forward Austin Watson said Sunday night after Nashville beat the Avalanche 5-0 in Game 6 to clinch the series. “Get our rest and get prepared.”
Nashville looks every bit like the team that went to the Stanley Cup final a season ago and won the Presidents’ Trophy this season. The Predators are hitting their stride heading into the Winnipeg series. They had 11 forwards notch at least a point in the Colorado series. Not to be outdone, the Jets had a balanced scoring attack in closing out Minnesota, 4-1.
“We saw how the regular season went against them. They’re good hockey games,” said Watson, whose team went 3-1-1 against the Jets during the year. “We’re excited.”
This goaltending showdown should be worth the price of admission: Pekka Rinne vs. Connor Hellebuyck.
One Vezina Trophy finalist against another. Both are coming off a solid series, with Rinne stopping 22 shots in a 5-0 win Sunday to close out the series with Colorado. Hellebuyck had a 1.94 goals-against average in eliminating the Wild.
“Moving into the second round, I think you want to be playing very good defensive hockey against Winnipeg,” Rinne said. “One of the better teams in the league. They have a lot of firepower, a lot of talent up front. Also, like ours, their ‘D’ is a big part of their game.”
The Western Conference semifinals feature a little bit of history: This marks only the third time the final four in the conference are all chasing after their first Stanley Cup since the introduction of conferences in ’74-75, according to information provided by the league. The scenario also occurred in 2012 (the Los Angeles Kings hoisted the Cup) and in 1984 (Edmonton).
In the other semifinal matchup set to get underway, expansion Las Vegas faces San Jose.