Swedish players taking center stage for Preds

NASHVILLE, Tenn.— Filip Forsberg is having quite the spring for the Predators, setting franchise records with his eight goals and 15 points. He’s tied the team mark with at least a point in seven straight games.

Pontus Aberg scored the game-winning goal to put the Predators up 3-2 in the Western Conference finals, while defensemanMattias Ekholm has been smothering top lines all postseason. Viktor Arvidsson has 10 points, and his plus-13 rating ties him for second-best this postseason — behind Forsberg (plus-17).

All five of these players are Swedish. It has been a sweet postseason for players from a nation whose players once were derided for being soft and not able to handle the rigors of the NHL. In all, general manager David Poile has six Swedes on the Predators’ playoff roster as the team reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in their 19-year history.

Penguins forward Carl Hagelin said Thursday that it’s a very good time to be a Swedish hockey player, noting Sweden beat Canada 2-1 in a shootout Monday for the world hockey championship.

“There’s a lot of people watching us back home,” Aberg said.

Fisher skates: Predators captain Mike Fisher said Thursday he feels a lot better and his goal is to be available during the final that begins nextweek.

Fisher skated for the first time with his teammates since being injuredMay 18 in Game 4 of theWestern Conference finals. He took a knee from Ducks defenseman Josh Manson off the right side of his head and hasn’t played since. AP