In winning the first two games against the Chicago Blackhawks - on the road, no less - Nashville has played with desire and determination at both ends.
It would appear that the loss of players like Patrick Sharp, Andrew Ladd, Andrew Shaw and Brandon Saad due to salary cap issues has affected this team more than anyone really knew. Canadian teams are 0-5 so far... To suffocate any sense of hope the Blackhawks might have.
The Senators tied their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series 1-1 and Game 3 is Monday night in Boston. It's uplifting to have a few hundred fans meet you at the airport and tell you how great you've been so far.
For those of us who are used to watching Blackhawk hockey, it is not uncommon to see two line passes connect to streaking wingers who finish with regular occurrence.
Of all of the Predators teams that have qualified for the playoffs in franchise history, this year's version is the most talented.
Two games isn't much. After a acrobatical spin move to get to the goal, Smith gave it to Aberg who's shot was stuffed at the goal. Predators left winger Filip Forsberg beat Blackhawks defenseman Brian Campbell in a race to the puck and set up Johansen for a forehand shot in front of the crease. Dismissed as a past-his-prime goalie after two years of regression, this is the Pekka Rinne who became the face of Barry Trotz's defense-first Predators for so many years.
The Predators are singing a sweet tune on their way home to Music City, threatening to play the Chicago right out of the postseason.
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One local Ian Jenkins, was fishing on Lake Taupo together with his wife when he saw the swirling storm approach across the water. Two people were hospitalized after the vehicle in which they were travelling was hit by a falling tree.
It's as deep as it can be after two games. "Just focus on the little things, and focus on taking things one shift at a time and not worry about trying to climb any mountain and trying to accomplish everything at once". This series pits two teams worthy of meeting in the Western Conference finals.
Then when the Predators won the opener, Game 2 was gravy and they played like it. Chances are no Nashville team ever has looked so loose and free and unburdened in any playoff game.
The Hawks also have to find a way around the Predators' neutral-zone trap that took them out of their game Thursday.
The same reasons there was no panic after Game 1 is the same reason to feel like things still might be OK.
So here is a quick three-step program to get over this rather jarring defeat that puts the Blackhawks in a sizable hole in this series.
Since Peter Laviolette replaced Barry Trotz behind the bench, the Predators have preached offensive pressure from every skater on the ice along with defensive responsibility. The upstart Oilers proved they last night they might not be ready for the spotlight; the Sharks and the Ducks are already battered and banged up; the Wild and Blues have had extended down periods (although for Minnesota that may have just been bad luck). That might be why this third time around for Nashville, after having dropped first-round series to Chicago in 2010 and 2015, stands to be different.
The Montreal Canadiens have seized a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven series with the New York Rangers, thanks in no small part to the scoring exploits of Alexander Radulov.
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