PREDATORS CAN WRAP UP WESTERN FINALS TONIGHT
NASHVILLE — The Nashville Predators don’t have their top center and their captain is day to day with an upper body injury.
But they still have Pekka Rinne in net and they also have a chance at history on their own ice, needing one more win to earn the first Stanley Cup Final berth in franchise history.
As Nashville coach Peter Laviolette put it, the guys know what’s at stake. Standing in their way are the Anaheim Ducks, the only team to beat the Predators at Bridgestone Arena this postseason or last.
The Predators returned home with a 3-2 Western Conference finals lead after Saturday’s 3-1 victory, which ran Rinne’s career postseason record at Anaheim to 7-3. To avoid a return trip to California in the best-of-seven series, they can eliminate the Ducks in Game 6 tonight.
“We obviously know what’s at stake,” Predators forward Colin Wilson said. “It is one game at a time, but we know our next win puts us in contention for the Stanley Cup. So it’s something we’re focused on, but it is just about that next game, getting the next win.”
The Predators are 10-1 at home dating to last year’s playoffs, and another record crowd — with many more fans watching outside the building — is expected for one of the biggest sporting events in Nashville history. Players and coaches could hear the cheering fans the instant they stepped off the plane, and Laviolette said he
knows tonight will be crazy.
That leaves it up to the Predators to handle business on the ice.
“We’ve got to put our foot on the gas pedal again,” Laviolette said, “and make sure we’re ready to play.”
Being in position to win the Campbell Bowl on home ice seemed remote Friday, when the Predators announced their top scorer, center Ryan Johansen, would
miss the rest of the season after emergency surgery on his left thigh. They also were without captain Mike Fisher in Game 5 because of injury.
Laviolette simply tapped the three-time Vezina Trophy finalist Rinne and Nashville’s strong farm system for help.
Pontus Aberg, who played only nine games with the Predators all season, scored the game-winner on his first career playoff goal. In
Nashville’s 11 victories this postseason, 10 Predators have winning goals. Frederick Gaudreau, another Milwaukee call-up, helped fill in at center in his postseason debut and won 10 of 14 faceoffs against the best team on the dot in these playoffs.
Rinne, who shut out the Blackhawks twice in Chicago to open this postseason, played arguably his best game yet. He made 32 saves
and played the puck aggressively to help hold off the Ducks. He improved to 11-4 in these playoffs, with a 1.62 goals-against average and a .942 save percentage — all league highs this postseason.
“He’s been great all playoffs, and the team has so much confidence in him,” Nashville defenseman Roman Josi said. “It’s awesome playing in front of him, and he’s been unbelievable.”
Still, nothing can be taken for granted in this series. The Ducks and Predators have been tied or within a goal of one another for 284 minutes and 38 seconds of the 319:49 played. Scoring first has been no guarantee, either, with the winner coming back four times.