Colton Sissons' modest hockey goals appear to have finally become reality.
The Nashville Predators center recorded a hat trick and the game-winning goal in Game 6 against the Anaheim Ducks on Monday, helping propel the team to its first Stanley Cup Final appearance.
"It was a wild ride so far this year, a lot of challenges for me personally, obviously being out of the lineup," Sissons told reporters after the biggest game of his career. "I just wanted to be a regular guy playing every single night to now arguably (the No.) 1 or 2 center for us with (Ryan Johansen and Mike Fisher) out."
Often scratched during the regular season, Sissons had recently been bumped up the depth chart as a result of the key injuries he mentioned. Many assumed losing Johansen and Fisher would be a deal breaker for the Predators, but those worries have been waylaid for the time being.
"It's been a wild ride," Sissons reiterated, "but it feels good and I'm just enjoying it."
Drafted 50th overall, Sissons has now scored five goals and added five assists in 16 playoff games; those 10 points represent half of his career point total through 109 regular-season games.
After his Game 6 heroics, there's no way he'll be seen as just a regular guy in Nashville anymore - at least not among the fans.
Colton Sissons' modest hockey goals appear to have finally become reality.
The Nashville Predators center recorded a hat trick and the game-winning goal in Game 6 against the Anaheim Ducks on Monday, helping propel the team to its first Stanley Cup Final appearance.
"It was a wild ride so far this year, a lot of challenges for me personally, obviously being out of the lineup," Sissons told reporters after the biggest game of his career. "I just wanted to be a regular guy playing every single night to now arguably (the No.) 1 or 2 center for us with (Ryan Johansen and Mike Fisher) out."
Often scratched during the regular season, Sissons had recently been bumped up the depth chart as a result of the key injuries he mentioned. Many assumed losing Johansen and Fisher would be a deal breaker for the Predators, but those worries have been waylaid for the time being.
"It's been a wild ride," Sissons reiterated, "but it feels good and I'm just enjoying it."
Drafted 50th overall, Sissons has now scored five goals and added five assists in 16 playoff games; those 10 points represent half of his career point total through 109 regular-season games.
After his Game 6 heroics, there's no way he'll be seen as just a regular guy in Nashville anymore - at least not among the fans.
The Nashville Predators are making their first trip to the Stanley Cup Final.
Prior to Monday, the Predators were one of just five NHL teams to have never punched their ticket to the final. Now just four teams remain in the hunt for their first shot at the final round:
Arizona Coyotes
The longest drought belongs to the Coyotes, who joined the NHL as the Winnipeg Jets in 1979 before uprooting and heading to the desert 17 years later.
In all, it counts for 38 seasons in which the Coyotes have not advanced to the final. The franchise made its closest bid to win it all in 2012 before falling to the Los Angeles Kings in Round 3, missing the final by three wins.
The good news is that the future is bright in Arizona, with a host of young talent led by the likes of Max Domi, Brendan Perlini, Clayton Keller, and Jakob Chychrun, among others, so the team's winning ways shouldn't be too far off.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Leading up to 2017, the Blue Jackets were a laughingstock, missing the playoffs in all but two seasons in their 15-year history. That all changed this year.
Under the guidance of coach John Tortorella, the Blue Jackets embraced a style of play that led them to their best season in franchise history, finishing with 108 points for the NHL's fourth-best record.
And while the Blue Jackets were bounced early in the playoffs by the Pittsburgh Penguins, this season was simply a preview of what's to come in the Ohio capital, where the Blue Jackets have established one of the league's most exciting cores built around Alexander Wennberg and Zach Werenski.
Minnesota Wild
The Wild were somewhat of a surprise this season, their first under new bench boss Bruce Boudreau. He brought eight division titles with him to St. Paul and nearly had another in his first season with the Wild prior to a late-season slump.
While Minnesota wasn't able to translate its regular-season success to the spring, falling to the St. Louis Blues in five games in the opening round, Wild fans still have much to be happy about.
After a single playoff appearance in their first 11 years as the Atlanta Thrashers, the Jets have advanced to the postseason just once since their relocation to the Manitoba capital. But hope is on the way given the team's rising stars.
With young talent like this, visions of Lord Stanley are hard to ignore.
The Jets boast arguably the NHL's best crop of young talent, and the franchise was luck enough to add to it last summer with rookie Patrik Laine, as the Finnish freshman scoring 36 times in his inaugural campaign. That type of player just happens to roll through Winnipeg every so often.
The Nashville Predators are making their first trip to the Stanley Cup Final.
Prior to Monday, the Predators were one of just five NHL teams to have never punched their ticket to the final. Now just four teams remain in the hunt for their first shot at the final round:
Arizona Coyotes
The longest drought belongs to the Coyotes, who joined the NHL as the Winnipeg Jets in 1979 before uprooting and heading to the desert 17 years later.
In all, it counts for 38 seasons in which the Coyotes have not advanced to the final. The franchise made its closest bid to win it all in 2012 before falling to the Los Angeles Kings in Round 3, missing the final by three wins.
The good news is that the future is bright in Arizona, with a host of young talent led by the likes of Max Domi, Brendan Perlini, Clayton Keller, and Jakob Chychrun, among others, so the team's winning ways shouldn't be too far off.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Leading up to 2017, the Blue Jackets were a laughingstock, missing the playoffs in all but two seasons in their 15-year history. That all changed this year.
Under the guidance of coach John Tortorella, the Blue Jackets embraced a style of play that led them to their best season in franchise history, finishing with 108 points for the NHL's fourth-best record.
And while the Blue Jackets were bounced early in the playoffs by the Pittsburgh Penguins, this season was simply a preview of what's to come in the Ohio capital, where the Blue Jackets have established one of the league's most exciting cores built around Alexander Wennberg and Zach Werenski.
Minnesota Wild
The Wild were somewhat of a surprise this season, their first under new bench boss Bruce Boudreau. He brought eight division titles with him to St. Paul and nearly had another in his first season with the Wild prior to a late-season slump.
While Minnesota wasn't able to translate its regular-season success to the spring, falling to the St. Louis Blues in five games in the opening round, Wild fans still have much to be happy about.
After a single playoff appearance in their first 11 years as the Atlanta Thrashers, the Jets have advanced to the postseason just once since their relocation to the Manitoba capital. But hope is on the way given the team's rising stars.
With young talent like this, visions of Lord Stanley are hard to ignore.
The Jets boast arguably the NHL's best crop of young talent, and the franchise was luck enough to add to it last summer with rookie Patrik Laine, as the Finnish freshman scoring 36 times in his inaugural campaign. That type of player just happens to roll through Winnipeg every so often.
I have to give Mike Sullivan credit - he looks like a genius.
After Marc-Andre Fleury got off to a poor start in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final, the Pittsburgh Penguins coach immediately went to Matt Murray to finish the game, then promptly started him in Game 4, even though Fleury had carried the Penguins this far.
Murray had missed all of the playoffs with a lower-body injury up to that point, and Sullivan's fitness for the job would be questioned if Murray did not play well.
Murray rewarded his coach with a 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators in Game 4, followed by a shutout in Game 5. He has two wins, and has allowed just three goals against on 71 shots in the three games he has played.
The Penguins, up 3-2 in the series with Murray in goal, now look unstoppable.
So why would a coach do this? Why take out Fleury after all the work he's put in to carry his team to the Eastern Conference Final?
I'm going to tell you why.
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
Murray got Sullivan his first Stanley Cup as a head coach. Sullivan trusts Murray, and knows him well. Coaches are fiercely loyal to players that help them win.
When I was the third goalie with the eventual Stanley Cup-champion New York Rangers in 1994, Mike Keenan brought in Steve Larmer, Brian Noonan, and Stephan Matteau from Chicago. He traded great players like Mike Gartner, James Patrick, and Tony Amonte to get them.
Why?
Keenan knew them from Chicago, and trusted that they could help him win.
Every good coach has his boys - the players he trusts. Unless you're an All-Star player, which accounts for roughly 5-7 percent of the NHL, you need to have someone on your side - a coach to help you climb the ladder. Matteau and Noonan were good players, but by no means superstars. Keenan helped them both become millionaires and Stanley Cup champions.
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
The man that helped me climb that ladder was Tom Renney. I had won a Memorial Cup with him in Kamloops. So when Tom landed the head coaching job for Hockey Canada and the 1994 Olympic team, who did he bring in as the goalie he would trust for the biggest tournament in the world? Me-and for the same reasons Sullivan went to Murray. I had won with Tom before.
I recall not playing well just before the 1994 Olympics, and there was talk of bringing another goalie in to replace me. But Tom stuck by me. I remember a particular day in Sweden, two weeks before the Olympics; Tom brought me in for a meeting to talk to me. He said all the right things, and I went on to play every minute in the Olympics, winning a silver medal for Canada.
Was it a little ruthless to not start Fleury in Game 4? Definitely.
But Matt Murray is Mike Sullivan's guy, and that's all there is to it.
For the first time in four decades, David Poile has a chance to win it all.
The Nashville Predators long-time general manager has crafted a team that will play in its first Stanley Cup Final next week. It's also a first for Poile, who has been with the franchise since its 1998 inception.
Poile began his career in hockey operations as assistant GM with the former Atlanta Flames in 1977, spending five years with the franchise, including the final two in Calgary following its relocation.
The 67-year-old then arrived in Tennessee after 15 years at the helm of the Washington Capitals, who advanced to the Stanley Cup Final a year after his 1997 firing. In Nashville, Poile would be the architect of the NHL's newest expansion franchise, where 19 years later and he is the longest-tenured GM.
In the early goings in Music City, Poile built a team respected for its work ethic. But in recent campaigns, he's pulled off blockbuster deals to bring in the likes of Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen, and P.K. Subban.
Those moves have transformed the Predators into a juggernaut, one that now has a chance at its first championship.
The Ottawa Senators may have to attempt to avoid elimination in front of some empty seats.
In advance of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and with Ottawa's season on the line, plenty of tickets remained available as of Tuesday morning.
About 1,700 tickets available on Ticketmaster for tonight's #Sens/Pens game in Ottawa, 13 hours away. Cheapest $140. Not counting resale.
And it's not sitting well with owner Eugene Melnyk.
"It’s very disturbing, however, knowing the players and coaches they will be trying their hardest for Ottawa," Melnyk said, per Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia.
On Monday, the team sent out a plea to its fans for support, with help from goalie Craig Anderson.
"The main things we can draw from our fans for Game 6 is energy and momentum." - Craig Anderson
The Senators previously failed to sell out Game 1 of their second-round series against the New York Rangers, when only 16,744 of 18,572 seats were filled for the 2-1 win.
With the offseason underway for a number of teams and the remainder set to join them in a few weeks, we're looking at what's in store for each club in the coming months.
2016-17 Grade: A
Very few would have predicted a playoff spot for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season, but after defying the odds with a rookie-heavy roster, many feel the team had what it takes to oust the Presidents' Trophy-winning Washington Capitals after forcing five games to overtime in Round 1.
Mike Babcock and the Maple Leafs saw a 26-point improvement after finishing with the worst record in the league a season earlier, all while allowing their rookies to play in all situations and make mistakes.
Free Agents
Player (Position)
2017-18 Status
Age
2016-17 Cap Hit
'16-17 Points
Brian Boyle (F)
UFA
32
$2M
25
Zach Hyman (F)
RFA
24
$900K
28
Connor Brown (F)
RFA
23
$686 667
36
Roman Polak (D)
UFA
31
$2.25M
11
Matt Hunwick (D)
UFA
31
$1.2M
19
Stephan Robidas (D)
UFA
40
$3M
DNP
Brooks Laich (F)
UFA
40
$3.55M
DNP
Milan Michalek (F)
UFA
32
$3.05M
2
Colin Greening (F)
UFA
31
$1.7M
DNP
Player (Position)
2017-18 Status
Age
2016-17 Cap Hit
'16-17 SV%
Curtis McElhinney (G)
UFA
33
$800K
.917
2017 Draft Picks
After taking a combined 20 picks in the last two drafts, the Maple Leafs have just seven selections this time around, a sign the rebuilding period is quietly coming to an end.
Round
Picks
1
1
2
1 (Sharks)
3
0
4
2 (Own+Penguins)
5
1
6
1
7
1
Summer priorities
1. Upgrade defense
It's no secret that the Maple Leafs' biggest flaw is their thin defensive corps.
Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner both appeared to take a big step forward in their development - especially in the postseason - and Nikita Zaitsev appears to have been a smart gamble, but it stops there.
The team still lacks a true No. 1 and won't be able to attain one for nothing. Some rumors suggest the team could have its eyes on Karl Alzner of the Capitals, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, but Toronto needs more than that.
The Maple Leafs will have to decide whether to risk dealing one of their young forwards for a proven defenseman. If they are keen on improving on this season, they must get better in their own end somehow.
The Maple Leafs acquired McElhinney on Jan. 10 after he was placed on waivers by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Upon joining the club, the 33-year-old posted a .914 save percentage and a 2.85 goals-against average in 14 games.
The Maple Leafs dealt Jhonas Enroth after he allowed 18 goals in six games without collecting a single win for the team. The Maple Leafs might want more than McElhinney, but the fact is they need someone who can be relied on for at least adequate goaltending to offer Frederik Andersen the occasional rest.
3. Continue to develop young stars
It's important to understand that even though the Maple Leafs enjoyed great success this season, they are still extremely young. While it's easy to project even better seasons from the likes of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander, they're still just becoming accustomed to life in the NHL.
These three and many others on the Maple Leafs have more growing, learning, and improving to do before Toronto can be considered among the best clubs in the East.
2017-18 Outlook
The 2016-17 season went about as well as the Maple Leafs could have hoped - minus a series win over the Capitals.
Their three most promising rookies made significant impacts in their first true tastes of the NHL and each thrived. Matthews, Marner, and Nylander all earned Rookie of the Month honors - Nylander twice - and gave fans something to be proud of for the first time in a long time.
The team made its first playoff appearance since the 2012-13 campaign and Toronto's problems in goal appear to be fixed.
That said, there's still lots of room for improvement. The defense is in drastic need of an upgrade and a steady backup goalie would go a long way.
If 2016-17 was just a sneak peek of what is to come for the Maple Leafs, it might not be too long before they really can be considered contenders. And when was the last time anyone said that about the Maple Leafs?
