Tag: Predators hockey

Forsberg Signs Six-Year, $36M Contract with Preds

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Image Source: Claus Andersen/Getty Images

The deal we’ve all been waiting patiently for has finally been revealed: Filip Forsberg and the Nashville Predators have agreed to a six-year, $36M contract, guaranteeing the 21-year-old Swede will make $6M each season from 2016-17 to 2021-22.

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Nice. Here’s a little excerpt from the Predators on the signing:

“Filip is among the most skilled, dynamic talents we’ve ever had in the organization and is an integral part of our success for the next six years and beyond,” Poile said. “While we have already seen his creativity, hockey sense and puck skills, he has yet to reach the peak of his abilities. We have full confidence that he will continue to blossom into one of the top players in the world.

This is just another example of our ownership group’s commitment to the franchise, our fans and the entire community to build a team that can reach our ultimate goal of winning the Stanley Cup.”

Forsberg, 21 (8/13/94), led the Predators in goals (33) and points (64) for the second consecutive season during his sophomore campaign in 2015-16. His goal total tied the single-season franchise record and for 10th in the NHL, while his point total put him among the League’s Top 25. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound winger recently received two first-place nods and finished 10th in voting for the 2016 Selke Trophy – given to the NHL’s top defensive forward – while playing all 82 of Nashville’s contests for the second season in a row.

Forsberg is also a decorated player internationally, having made his World Championship debut for Sweden in 2015, being named one of the country’s three best players of the tournament after ranking second among all skaters in goals (8), and third on Team Sweden in points (9) in eight games. He captained Sweden to silver medals at the 2013 and 2014 World Junior Championships, being named 2014 tournament MVP and Best Forward and to the 2013 tournament All-Star Team; he helped the Tre Kronor claim gold at the 2012 World Junior Championship; he captained his country to a silver medal and was named Best Forward at the 2012 Under-18 World Championship; and earned another silver medal at the 2011 Under-18 World Championship as the team’s youngest player.

Thankfully, the Predators and Forsberg came to an agreement before really dragging it out, giving fans a chance to sigh with relief; unlike when it was time to re-sign Shea Weber (See: Weber Watch 2011). So how is that for a happy Monday, Preds fans?

Preds Select Dante Fabbro in First Round of 2016 NHL Draft

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Image Source: Google Images

With the No. 17 pick in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft, the Nashville Predators selected defenseman Dante Fabbro of New Westminster, British Columbia.

Fabbro, who was named the 2015-16 CJHL Top Defenseman of the Year (due in part to notching 67 points in 45 games played) is committed to Boston University this fall, but the kid has mentioned admiring and “loving the Predators” organization prior to the draft; he also considers Shea Weber a positive role model (who is also a native of British Columbia).

On a more unique note, as pointed out by the Tennessean’s Adam Vingan, Fabbro’s sisters play soccer for Austin Peay State University. There’s your six degrees of Kevin Bacon separation for you.

There’s no denying Nashville loves its defensemen (and excels at producing them) and Fabbro will continue that tradition when he is ready to step into the professional scene. Fabbro is Nashville’s only draft pick in the first round, but the second – seventh rounds will be tomorrow at 9AM CST on NHL Network.

Predators remaining draft picks:

No. 47 – Second Round

No. 76 & No. 78 – Third Round

No. 108 – Fourth Round

No. 138 – Fifth Round

No. 168 – Sixth Round

No. 198 – Seventh Round

 

 

Weber wins 2016 Mark Messier Leadership Award

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Image Source: Google Images

For the third time in the organization’s history, a Nashville Predators player has won an award at the National Hockey League Awards. Now, the organization has had countless nominees, but yes, only three winners in its eighteen years.

Those three guys? Steve Sullivan won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 2009, Mike Fisher won the NHL Foundation Player Award in 2012, and now Shea Weber, winning the Mark Messier Leadership Award earlier tonight.

The Mark Messier Leadership Award is presented to the NHL player who exemplifies leadership capabilities both on and off the ice, including charitable contributions in the local community. Along with Pekka Rinne, Shea Weber created the 365 Pediatric Cancer Fund, which benefits the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Weber’s commitment to his hometown of Sicamous, British Columbia also helped win him this award.

Though the league and fans have a hand in deciding who will be the chosen few for this award, the winner is ultimately decided by Mark Messier himself. Messier ultimately decided that Shea Weber was more worthy of his aptly-named award than John Tavares of the New York Islanders and Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals.

Biased are we, but this award was much deserved by the Predators captain. Congrats to Shea Weber!

Preds Re-Sign Forward Cody Bass

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Image Source: The Tennessean

Earlier this afternoon the Predators organization and Cody Bass came to a contract agreement to re-sign the 29-year-old forward to a two-year, two-way deal. Here’s the official word from the Predators:

Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced Wednesday that the club has signed forward Cody Bass to a two-year, two-way contract worth $575,000 at the NHL level and $150,000 at the AHL level in 2016-17, and $650,000 at the NHL level and $150,000 at the AHL level in 2017-18.

Bass, 29 (1/7/87), split his first season in the Nashville organization between the American Hockey League’s Milwaukee Admirals (39gp, 4g-5a-9pts, 84 PIMs) and the Predators (17gp, 0pts, 17 PIMs), while also suiting up for six of the team’s seven games during their Round One series victory over the Anaheim Ducks. The 6-foot, 205-pound forward has appeared in 66 career NHL contests with Nashville, Ottawa and Columbus since 2007-08, posting five points (2g-3a) and 88 penalty minutes, and 370 career AHL games with Milwaukee, Binghamton, Springfield and Rockford, posting 98 points (41g-57a) and 794 penalty minutes. The Owen Sound, Ontario, native has served as an alternate captain at the AHL level in five of the past six seasons, and won the 2011 Yanick Dupre Memorial Award as presented annually to the AHL’s man of the year for service to his local community. He also helped Binghamton win the 2011 Calder Cup.

Bass’s return to the Nashville hockey club comes as no surprise; at least to some of us.

With the departure of veterans Paul Gaustad and Eric Nystrom, Bass will play a pivotal role as younger wingers make their move up to the big league meaning I do not believe he is the solution, but rather an answer for the time being. However, Bass does provide a positive feel amongst his teammates, which is always a good thing for sure. Of course, while he is a friendly little fellow in the locker room, we are mostly familiar with his enforcer-like attitude on the ice:

How could we forget when former Nashville Predator Rich Clune poked the bear because we was irked Bass took his old number?

Off-Season Presser: Who’s In, Who’s Out

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Image Source: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

While Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay duke it out and St. Louis and San Jose press on, here in Nashville our thoughts are focused on off-season changes. General Manager David Poile and Head Coach Peter Laviolette met with the media today to address trials and tribulations of the 2015-16 season, post season, and what should be expected from the organization through the off-season and into the next season.

Both Poile and Laviolette addressed the disappoint Game 7 loss against the San Jose Sharks, but praised the city of Nashville for the passion shown for the team throughout the playoff push:

While the disappointing loss still stings just a wee bit, most have moved onto more pressing matters such as the status of certain players. From the presser today, this is what we know:

  • Paul Gaustad will not be returning. A 34-year-old UFA, it was only a matter of time before Gaustad was replaced with a younger center.
  • Colton Sissons may be that replacement. Totted as Gaustad’s “heir apparent” in the conference today by David Poile, Sissons notched four goals and two assists this past season, which earned him some playoff time as well.
  • Eric Nystrom will either be bought out or traded. Yes, the Nystrom Show will have to find another host (and another name) next season. While in his first season he notched 21 points (15 of which were goals) in 2013-14, the past two seasons haven’t been as fruitful (just 19 points combined). Needless to say, Poile would like to attempt a trade with another organization, but will not hesitate to buy out the 36-year-old to free up space for someone younger.
  • Poile would like to keep Carter Hutton. Well yeah, me too, Poile (thanks for having me guys), but thinking from a hockey standpoint, it may be time to bring up either Marek Mazanec or Juuse Saros to possibly become – dare I say – Pekka’s replacement. It wouldn’t be the worst decision ever if Poile and Hutton’s agent can come to an agreement, but anything more than a year might be pushing it for the young guns lying in wait.
  • Contract negotiations: Calle Jarnkrok. David Poile mentioned that he hopes to begin contract negotiations with Jarnkrok “right away”. Jarnkrok, who was Nashville’s gain in a trade with Detroit for David Legwand, has proven his worth within the organization; perhaps it’s because he’s Swedish. Swedes are good. I mean, the kid missed one game in the regular season and totaled 30 points. Saying he’s worth having around is truly an understatement.
  • Contract negotiations: Filip Forsberg. Well, there’s no doubt somehow, someway, David Poile and Filip Forsberg will come to an agreement on a contract this off-season… and possibly a lengthy one at that.
  • Gabriel Bourque has an update. Yes, Gabriel Bourque. Injured back in November, Bourque has been working hard to get back into the lineup but a persistent UBI has kept him sidelined. Per Poile, Bourque has seen some improvement (noted that he could’ve hit the lineup if the Preds had made the Western Conference Finals) and hopes to find him a place with the team in the future.
  • Cody Bass will be re-signed. With Nystrom and Gaustad out of the future picture, Bass will be needed to fill that void on the fourth-line. Not exactly known for being a huge scorer, his presence is certainly felt both on and off the ice in positive aspects, so – as mentioned – he will be needed in the near future.
  • Ribeiro has some work to do. David Poile noted that Mike Ribeiro will need to have the “summer of his life” this off-season. I couldn’t agree more, Mr. Poile.

So, there you have it. Hopefully that was enough Predators information to last you for a little while until your cravings start to hit again. If you aren’t too familiar with the off-season, it stays rather busy. The 2016 NHL Draft will be held on June 24-25, which will bring plenty of buzz before and after the picks are in.

Preds Fans: Don’t Cry because It’s Over; Smile because It Happened

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Image Source: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Well ladies and gents, that certainly wasn’t the outcome we all wanted for the home team by any means but all good things must come to an end at some point. Unfortunately for Nashville, that end came at a 5-0 loss to the San Jose Sharks in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals. Perhaps it was because we gaffed at the Dallas Stars as they fell to the St. Louis Blues 6-1 in their Game 7 the day before that lead to Nashville’s beatdown from the Sharks. Could it have also been the extra day of rest due to a Selena Gomez concert at the SAP Center, an event that caused almost all Preds fans to become Selenators (yes, I looked that up)? Was it the little black cat adorably named “Joe Paw-velski” that ran across the ice during Game 1? Maybe it was because Nashville has never won a game in a playoff series in San Jose. Whatever voodoo or karma you wish to believe in that caused Nashville to crumble last night, it happened and the history making season has come to a close.

But history for the seventeen-year-old franchise was made and that should certainly not be overlooked. Nashville witnessed its first ever Game 7 in Round 1 against the Anaheim Ducks and sealed their first ever Game 7 victory in the same bout. Nashville would reach its second Game 7 in franchise history last night against the San Jose Sharks. Unfortunately, the history books had shut on the Predators at that point. The Predators hit some amazing milestones for its young franchise this season and postseason, which only means they will have to work to go further in the future.

Also to be noted was how the city of Nashville – and all of Tennessee, for that matter – stood with the Predators on their postseason journey towards bringing the Cup to Nashville. Though the Tennessee Titans and the Nashville Predators have a friendly relationship that only rivals due to business aspects, the NFL home team stood tall next to its professional brethren and the players and coaching staff made sure a side of the sports world that may not be as familiar with hockey got a taste of it.

Nashville’s sports roots do belong to football and baseball; there’s no doubting that. But those football/baseball fans have latched onto this frozen sport quite tightly and, whether it was a PR stunt on the Titans part or not, this relationship between the Titans shown through the playoffs was a beautiful thing indeed. With the torrential badmouthing of the Titans and their output on the field, perhaps this was a way for the Titans organization to not only back a winning team, but show its players what winning does for the growth of a fan base. Don’t get me wrong; no matter how terrible the Titans continue to be, they aren’t going anywhere and you won’t find a decrease in tickets sales either. But seeing the emotional connecting that the Predators organization has with its fans – who are also Titans fans – is definitely something of which a fellow professional team should be mindful. Several Titans players, including Marcus Mariota, Taylor Lewan, Delanie Walker, and crowd favorite Avery Williamson made appearances at several playoff games in Nashville.

The Titans weren’t the only Nashville team to stand with the Predators, either. The Nashville Sounds sent out their best wishes via a video:

https://twitter.com/nashvillesounds/status/729083040908115968

And, being the Music City, the Predators had plenty of musicians cheering the team onto victory including Dierks Bentley, Chris Young, Vince Gill, Tim McGraw, and – of course – Carrie Underwood.

Several Nashville businesses jumped behind their favorite hockey team as well during the postseason push, including the following:

https://twitter.com/fmbakery/status/730503406108979202

Seeing all the love from around the city and state was a beautiful sight for us who love the sport of hockey. Not only does this benefit the Predators, it also sheds light on youth hockey – in a strange way – as well. There’s no doubt that, when a team is winning, its exposure grows exponentially and, since we live in a college football dominated region, even a little bit of exposure goes a long way. So many new fans were born this post season and, while some will drop off, a good number will continue to follow the Predators into the next season this October and their love (because there’s no other word for it) will blossom into a passion for the sport. I would say Nashville’s exposure as a legitimate hockey town was an eye-opener to many outside of the city. Of course, the All-Star festivities this year certainly helped, but the fan base made its point that we should be taken seriously as a hockey-loving Southern city. It’s that college football mentality that makes us so unique; makes us so passionate. It’s what makes Nashville a true contender for the Stanley Cup at some point.

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So what do the Predators and its organization do now? Well, relax, for one thing. Relax then begin preparing for next season. Now that the 2015-16 run is over, news on injuries sustained by some of the players is beginning to surface, including the fact that Roman Josi has been playing with both a broken finger and nose. Filip Forsberg, who was rather quite and “un-Forsberg-like” this postseason, revealed to Tre Kronor, the Swedish national team, that he has been nursing a back injury. I have been asked if Shea Weber was injured due to his performance last night but not every bad night is due to an injury. Sometimes, bad nights just happen. Sadly for Weber, that night came last night in Game 7. Again, these injuries definitely do not excuse for a poor performance, but they do add into it for sure. No player – on any team in the postseason – is playing at 100% right now. The endurance of a hockey player is insane; something I feel basketball and soccer players could learn from.

It would b e difficult to overlook last night’s performance and remember what an incredible season and postseason Nashville has had this year, but it is possible. Before you even realize it (maybe even now), you’ll be asking, “Is it October yet?” and the excitement of a new season will turn you into a little kid again.

The Sharks played a clean, tough series and you can’t fault them at that. I just hope they take out the Blues. And remembering that Nashville was one of the Top 5 teams this postseason is something to be proud of, too. As old Dr. Seuss once coined, “Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened.” Yeah, that was cheesy but it’s true… and you know it.

Weber named NHL Leadership Award Finalists

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Yesterday afternoon, the NHL announced the finalists for the 2016 Mark Messier Leadership award, which includes John Tavares of the New York Islanders, Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, and Shea Weber of the Nashville Predators.

The Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award is awarded to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice during the regular season. Though suggestions for nominees are solicited from fans, clubs and NHL personnel, the selection of the three finalists and the ultimate winner is made by Messier, one of the finest leaders in NHL history; the six-time Stanley Cup champion is one of three players to have captained three teams (Edmonton, N.Y. Rangers, Vancouver).

Weber is the first Predators player/personnel to be nominated for a 2016 NHL award and Roman Josi was quoted about his fellow defenseman and captain:

“He’s one of those guys that leads by example. We know we can count on him every time he steps on the ice; we know he’s going to leave it all out there. He’s just a great leader, he’s been a great mentor to me. He’s one of those guys who plays the game really honest. He’s such a great leader, and we’re happy to have him as a captain.”

Game 1 Recap: Sharks Capitalize on Preds Exhaustion

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Source: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

After winning the franchise’s first Game 7, the Predators hopped onto a plane and headed to Northern California to face the San Jose Sharks, who eliminated crowd favor L.A. Kings in five games. Underdogs yet again, the Predators would either see one of two things from the Sharks: a well rested group or a slow-to-go team. While knocking out your opponent in as few games as possible can be a good thing, it can also knock you out of your winning rhythm. And while going all seven games can keep you in that rhythm, it can also cause a burn out. So, how did Game 1 between the Sharks and Predators turn out?

PRE-GAME:

Well, Predators playoff savior Craig Smith’s nagging lower-body injury kept him from the lineup in Game 1 against the Sharks. With Craig Smith, the Predators are 4-0. Without Craig Smith? 0-4. So who did Nashville pull in to replace Smith? Eric Nystrom, who did not see any ice time during the first series against Anaheim. Pontus Aberg was initially recalled by the team from Milwaukee earlier in the day, but was ultimately scratched before game time.

Also, this happened right before the game:

No one is sure where this little black cat came from, but it wasn’t the thing superstitious fans wanted to see scurrying across the ice before the game.

FIRST PERIOD:

While neither team managed to score during the first, there were definitely plenty of close calls. This particular shot-on-goal had to be reviewed. Of course, there’s no way it would’ve been deemed a goal, there is still the rule that it could have been:

San Jose would send eleven shots at Pekka, with the Finnish wall managing to stop them all. Nashville would notch twelve shots against Sharks goaltender Martin Jones.

SECOND PERIOD:

Nashville would come out swinging in the Second Period, with Mike Fisher notching a “top cheddar” goal to take the lead on the power play:

Fisher and the Predators would hold onto that lead throughout the period, giving Nashville some glorious hope going into the third period.

THIRD PERIOD:

Ah, but that sweet lead by the Predators would be short lived as the Sharks found their rhythm and began attacking the net, while Nashville’s juice began to run out. At 2:37, Tomas Hertl notch a beauty of a goal, finding the one hole in Rinne’s armor to tie the game at 1-1 on the power play.

Former Nashville Predator Joel Ward would give San Jose the lead at 11:49 with a breakaway goal, pulling a feisty move to trick Rinne into giving him plenty of room. Shortly thereafter, Logan Couture would give San Jose a 3-1 lead with less than five minutes left in regulation. The wheels, it seems, had fallen off the Predators wagon and the Sharks were ready to bounce on their opportunities.

However, Ryan Johansen would give Nashville a glimmer of hope at 18:11 making the score 3-2 with plenty of time left to tie it up. Unfortunately, both Couture and Tommy Wingels would pound two empty-netters, sealing Game 1 in favor of the San Jose Sharks 5-2.

So what happened? It all came down to the fact that Nashville hit an exhaustive wall and the Sharks, who played rather steady throughout the first and second periods, hit the rocket boosters in the third period and powered past the worn out Predators. While some saw the first and second periods as being rather slow, the Sharks knew exactly what they were doing and made some seriously smart moves, which ultimately lead to their victory.

So what can Nashville do to avoid this tomorrow night? Honestly, it’s a matter of regrouping and coming out refreshed and ready to play a smart, even strength game. The Sharks feed on power play opportunities, and Nashville must stay out of the box on Sunday. I know that is definitely a common sense strategy, but sometimes you have to go back to the basics to seek victory. Nashville will also need to keep a consistent flow through all three periods to outsmart the Sharks. It was clear last night that the Sharks waited until Nashville began losing steam before taking charge and it worked well for them. Though coming out on fire is a good thing, hoping that one goal will keep the Sharks at bay is just not going to work.

Before I am finished, I do have to mention this that happened:

This should’ve been where the Sharks originally tied the game, but somehow, someway, the puck just stopped short of the goal line. Lucky for Nashville at the time, but the Sharks would find a way to score anyways.

Losing Game 1 is not the end of the series by any means. However, Nashville will need to take away some things from this game and apply them to Sunday night’s game to avoid going 0-2 in this series.

Moving On: Preds defeat the Ducks in Round 1

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Source: Debora Robinson/Getty Images

First Game 7 in franchise history? Check. Thousands of people booing you in Anaheim? Check. Feeling like your going to get a stomach ulcer thanks to stress? Check.

If you were feeling a cocktail mix of adrenaline, stress, and excitement during last night’s (this morning’s) game, then you weren’t watching Game 7 between the Anaheim Ducks and the Nashville Predators. After leading the series 2-0, Nashville managed to lose three in a row to Anaheim, thus bringing Game 6 back to Nashville to face elimination. Do or die for the Preds, Nashville took the ‘do’ and forced a Game 7 back in Anaheim, winning 3-1.

Anaheim was kind to Nashville in Games 1 & 2, but… not so much in Game 5. Nashville managed to survive one ‘do or die’, but could they muster the energy to do it again; especially with everything falling in Anaheim’s favor…

Except one little itty bitty fact: The Ducks have lost Game 7 (at home) four consecutive years. And this fact about goals that led to their losses:

As a fairly superstitious person when it comes to hockey, I was not banking on Anaheim to make the same mistake again. Or, for the fourth time. There was just no way. I am glad I was wrong. But we all should have known that Nashville had the series when this guy chose the Predators over the Ducks:

There’s no doubting that Pekka Rinne was on point in Game 6 and, from the first puck drop of the night, the Preds goaltender was blocking shots and taking names. The Ducks would bring the pressure, but it would be Playoff Wilson who would get Nashville on the board first at 6:19:

https://twitter.com/myregularface/status/725510328398798848

https://twitter.com/myregularface/status/725510956944646146

Yes Colin, you have every right to celebrate this goal. You disappear in the regular season, only to emerge from your cocoon a beautiful playoff butterfly. Fly, Playoff Wilson; fly.

At 15:35, off a deflection from the Shea Weber slapper, Paul Gaustad would tally Nashville’s second goal of the night, giving the Music City team an early 2-0 lead:

The goal would be reviewed to see if Gaustad tipped it with a high stick, but – as you can see – it was a good goal and the folks in Nashville celebrated:

The second period would be a test for Nashville’s penalty kill, as the Ducks were awarded three different powerplay opportunities in this period alone. I could go on about how questionable some of these calls were, but the NHL refs (on all levels, not just this game) are a story for another time. We will just notate that Ryan Kesler did not receive a penalty for this head smash, which was quite obvious:

Kesler would do this again in the third period but to a helmet-less Barret Jackman. Penalty? Nope.

With their multiple powerplay opportunities, Anaheim would notch 13 shots on goal during the second period, but Rinne and the Nashville PK and defense would hold the Ducks at bay for another twenty minutes.

The penalties would keep coming into the third period, with both teams receiving two powerplay opportunities. Unfortunately, Ryan Kesler managed to score on one of those opportunities, putting the Ducks both on the board and into the game. This goal, of course, gave Anaheim a boost, but it also boosted Nashville’s desperation as well.

Nashville would only get four shots on goal during the third period compared to Anaheim’s thirteen. If that doesn’t tell you how on point Pekka Rinne was last night, I don’t know what will. How about this?

After what seemed like a lifetime, the clock finally ran down and it was official: Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs belonged to the Nashville Predators.

The fact that I am able to speak today is a miracle in itself. Also, the fact that my neighbors did not call the cops is amazing (and slightly terrifying because what if I was in trouble). If you were down at the Plaza Party Lexus Lounge Party, you had an extra special treat to share with all your fellow Preds fans.

After all the bickering and questionable hits and no-calls, it still never ceases to amaze me how professional both teams can be after it is all said and done. It is, after all, a career that they all love:

So, now that we can all somewhat breathe, what’s next? Well, Nashville doesn’t have far to travel. After eliminating the Ducks, and the LA Kings losing, the San Jose Sharks are the last California team to survive… and their Nashville’s next opponent. Here is the schedule:

  • Game 1 – Nashville @ San Jose – 9:30PM – Friday, April 29th
  • Game 2 – Nashville @ San Jose – 7PM – Sunday, May 1st
  • Game 3 – San Jose @ Nashville – 8PM – Tuesday, May 3rd
  • Game 4 – San Jose @ Nashville – 8PM – Thursday, May 5th
  • Game 5 – Nashville @ San Jose – TBA
  • Game 6 – San Jose @ Nashville – TBA
  • Game 7 – Nashville @ San Jose – TBA

So, you made it through Round 1. Congratulations. Let’s move onward to Round 2.

Preds are Officially Playoff Bound

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With the Colorado Avalanche losing to the Washington Capitals tonight 4-2, the Nashville Predators are officially playoff bound. Fourth time seems to be the charm for Nashville, as they’ve had the opportunity to clinch a spot since March 28th. Of course, as you are probably aware, the Predators have gone 0-3 on their last three games, so it took Nashville’s former head coach to get the job done by knocking off the Avalanche.

Whatever way, Nashville is officially in and since the Blackhawks won and the Wild lost, there’s a good chance the Predators will face either the Kings or the Ducks in the first round. It also looks like the Blackhawks and the Blues will face each other in the first round (if you care).

It’s officially time to #StandWithUs, Smashville. Oh, and finish out the last four regular season games, too.