Jets and Predators head to Game 7
Filip Forsberg, Pekka Rinne and the Nashville Predators showed they aren’t ready for their season to end yet.
Forsberg had two goals and an assist, Rinne stopped 34 shots for his second shutout of the playoffs, and the Predators beat the Winnipeg Jets 4-0 on Monday to force a decisive Game 7 in their Western Conference semifinal series.
“Desperation,” Rinne said after his fifth career playoff shutout. “It just shows that we have a really tight group.”
Viktor Arvidsson also scored twice, including a late empty-netter, and added an assist for the Predators. Roman Josi and Ryan Johansen each had two assists.
After the Jets’ top line combined for eight points in a 6-2 victory in Game 5 in Nashville to take a 3-2 series lead, the Predators No. 1 trio of Forsberg, Arvidsson and Johansen did the same when it mattered most.
“It’s the most fun,” Forsberg said. “You can never have more fun than playing these elimination games . ... Just try to enjoy it as much as possible.”
Connor Hellebuyck stopped 25 shots for the Jets.
Game 7 in this series in which neither team has won consecutive games is Thursday at Nashville, Tennessee, with the winner advancing to face the expansion Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference final. Each team has also won twice on the road.
“It’s been back and forth, up and down,” Winnipeg head coach Paul Maurice said. “It’s probably right that it’s going seven.”
The Jets finished 0 for 4 on the power play, including three chances in the first period.
“The power play is probably just a microcosm of the way we played,” Winnipeg center Paul Stastny said. “We probably weren’t moving as well or as sharp as we wanted.”
With the Predators up 1-0 after one period, Forsberg doubled the lead at 8:44 of the second on a great solo rush for his sixth of the postseason. After breaking his stick in the defensive zone blocking a shot, the Swedish forward raced to the bench to get a new one as the puck almost simultaneously arrived at his feet. Forsberg stayed onside, fought off Jets defenseman Ben Chairot and beat Hellebuyck short-side before crashing into the net.