It’s Predators’ coming-out party
All will see what Nashville knows: This is true team
No, Ryan Ellis did not just start growing that beard during these playoffs.
No, P.K. Subban doesn’t just fly in for games.
Yes, Nashville Predators fans are familiar with icing, offsides and goaltender interference, and they boo officials as appropriately and forcefully as would any hardcore hockey lot from Manitoba to Moscow.
The world is all over the Predators, as I was reminded Tuesday when I got a call from a Martin Devlin of Radio Sport New Zealand. I have no idea how Martin got my number, but he was nice enough, and we talked Predators hockey for a few minutes and for the listening pleasure of the people of Auckland.
Martin hopefully has a better sense of the Predators as they prepare to play Monday in the first Stanley Cup Final in their history, though I still think he’s a little sketchy — like the rest of the world — about why we care so much about our “university sports.”
No matter. What matters is that Martin tried to learn about the Predators. I would like to think the other media types swooping in for the next few weeks would do the same, but I’m going to make this easy for you.
Our time and space are going to be short in these locker rooms that aren’t built for this many cameras and well-fed professionals, so the fewer stupid questions the better. Because, yes, there is such a thing as a stupid question.
In fact, sometimes I think sports media have the market cornered on them, though any question is better than commanding a coach or player to “talk about” something. So let’s start there. Don’t do that.
Also, don’t bother asking Nashville coach Peter Laviolette about his coaching, his tactics, his speeches or anything but player performance. Sometimes you can get him going on a specific player, like when he was asked about Austin Watson after Monday’s 6-3 win against the Anaheim Ducks to win the Western Con- ference finals.
“His physicality, his durability, his commitment and will to win to be successful, to take on the hard jobs, blocking shots, taking hits, giving hits, fighting people — those are tough jobs,” Laviolette said of Watson, who scored two goals Monday. “And I think he’s done a terrific job.” See, pretty good. But don’t expect an answer from Laviolette on an injury question, ever. Please ask one, though, because sometimes his responses are funny.
Speaking of injuries, I’m sure you know Ryan Johansen and Kevin Fiala are out for the rest of the season. Huge losses, especially Johansen, but don’t tell Predators fans it reduces their team’s chances of winning the Cup — a Nashville writer who shall remain nameless was invited to drink bleach recently for doing just that.
Captain and center Mike Fisher has missed the last two games as well, and he’s a player the Predators really need to return. Don’t be fooled by the fact that he has no points in the postseason. He makes things happen on both ends.
In fact, don’t be fooled in a lot of ways that this team’s numbers might fool you. Yes, this is the first team seeded No. 16 overall in the playoffs to reach the Final, but the talent has been there all along. Injuries and inconsistency in the regular season hid that.
Don’t be fooled by goaltender Pekka Rinne’s age, either. At 34, he arguably has been the best player in this postseason.
He’s supported by arguably the best defensive quartet — Ellis, Subban, Roman Josi and Mattias Ekholm. All have been great, with underrated Ekholm arguably the best overall.
That’s a lot of “arguably,” don’t overuse that. And don’t forget about the fact that Filip Forsberg is … seemingly … becoming one of the very best players on the planet.
This team has Viktor Arvidsson, James Neal, Colin Wilson and role players such as Colton Sissons, Pontus Aberg, Cody McLeod, Vern Fiddler, Matt Irwin and Harry Zolnierczyk chipping in enough magic to supply a run like this.
This team belongs in the Stanley Cup Final, and so do its fans. They know the sport and they cared about the Predators long before this, which is why you might have noticed several emotional scenes captured by the cameras Monday.
And this team is here in part because it’s a true team. Subban, for example, brought international stardom to the locker room when the Predators acquired him in a trade for Shea Weber last offseason. But he’s just one of the guys in that locker room.
Now, for your purposes, he’s not just one of the guys. Show up at his stall early and prepare to use elbows and leverage if you want to talk to him. And if someone says, “P.K., talk about your time in Montreal,” you have permission to throw one of those elbows.