Mcphee savors playoff payoff
Predators tie series with Jets, leave Vegas in holding pattern for winner Knights GM on team’s postseason run: ‘None of us want this to end’
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Filip Forsberg had two goals and an assist, Pekka Rinne stopped 34 shots for his second shutout of the playoffs, and the Nashville Predators beat the Winnipeg Jets 4-0 on Monday to force a decisive Game 7 in their Western Conference semifinal series.
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.
Connor Hellebuyck stopped 25 shots for the Jets.
Game 7 is Thursday at Nashville, Tennessee, with the winner advancing to face the Golden Knights in the Western Conference final.theextradaybefore Game 7 is due to a Justin Timberlake concert at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday night.
This back-and-forth series hasyettoseeateamwin consecutive games.
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
NASHVILLE
George Mcphee’s first seasonasageneralmanager in the NHL culminated with the Washington Capitals reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 1998 for the only time in franchise history.
In the ensuing 16 years with Mcphee in charge, the Capitals never advanced past the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
But now that his postseason albatross has been lifted with the Golden Knights in the Western Conference
KNIGHTS
final, Mcphee is not satisfied.
“I’ve been doing this long enough to know, honestly, there are different ways to look at this,” Mcphee said Monday at City National Arena. “For me, it doesn’t mean anything. Yet. We’d all like to win some day, and if not now, when? None of us want this to end, so I am really happy that we have another game to play and a new series that begins.”
The Knights finished off a six-game series win over San Jose with a 3-0 road victory on Sunday, becoming the third team in NHL history to win multiple playoff series in their inaugural season.
They will play at Winnipeg or Nashville to begin the Western Conference final at a time and date to be determined. The Predators beat Winnipeg 4-0 on Monday to force a deciding Game 7 on Thursday in Nashville.
“Whoever it’s going to be is going to be one heck of a team,” Mcphee said. “They finished with more points than we did, so with each round it gets tougher and tougher. It may not be a bad thing to start on the road this time around. Something a little bit different. And we’re going to spend the next few days trying to get ready for that first period of that next game. But we’re certainly happy to be here and have a chance to do it.”
Mcphee praised Knights coach Gerard Gallant for his lineup changes throughout the series against San Jose and noted the team’s depth was pivotal.
Ryan Reaves took the place of injured winger William Carrier on the fourth line during Game 6 and turned in a strong performance with a team-high eight hits in 10:11 of ice time.
Ryan Carpenter shuttled in and out of the lineup during the series