The forward won't be suspended after being issued a match penalty at the end of Game 5 for cross-checking Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta in the face, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Friday.
Things got ugly at the end of Thursday's blowout, the Predators losing 6-0 to go down 3-2 in the series, and Sissons was tossed after catching Maatta up high.
Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan announced Friday that Maatta's fine.
Sissons' match penalty carried an automatic one-game suspension pending review by the league, which decided to rescind the ban.
"I watched it play out. I saw Maatta cross-check (Sissons)," Predators head coach Peter Laviolette said, according to The Tennessean's Adam Vingan. "Colton cross-checked him back. Maatta cross-checked him again, and it looked like they were doing it somewhere in the midsection. On the last one, Maatta seemed to slip and his head dropped. I don't think there was any intention there whatsoever."
The greatest perk of making the Stanley Cup Final is without a doubt getting the "Tonight Show Superlatives" treatment from Jimmy Fallon.
Fallon and "The Tonight Show" writers truly outdid themselves this year, providing hilarious "most likely to" references for the photos of several players on the Penguins and Predators.
As the Nashville Predators trail the Pittsburgh Penguins three games to two in the first Stanley Cup Final in franchise history - and the first for many of their star players - they need only look across the ice for inspiration.
Pens will recall 09 SCF. Lost gm 5 5-0 at Det to go down 3-2 in series. Then won gms 6 & 7 by 2-1 scores to win Cup. This series isn't over.
Eight years later, the Penguins are looking to win back-to-back Cups and cement a modern-day dynasty as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin lead the core in search of a third ring, while the Predators are looking for answers after a 6-0 loss in Game 5.
That's not the only thing the 2008-09 Penguins have in common with this 2016-17 Nashville team. Here's why a Predators comeback would seem awfully familiar to their opponents.
That 2009 Detroit team had won a combined 42 Stanley Cups, while the '09 Penguins had won just five between them. This iteration of the Penguins, though, has 28 total titles, and the Predators' Stanley Cup Final roster doesn't include a single player whose name is already etched into the trophy.
A hard road
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
Like the '09 Penguins, the Predators would also have to win a potential Game 7 on the road in order to earn the title.
Here's a look at the game-by-game results of the '09 final:
Game
Host
Victor
Score
1
Detroit
Red Wings
3-1
2
Detroit
Red Wings
3-1
3
Pittsburgh
Penguins
4-2
4
Pittsburgh
Penguins
4-2
5
Detroit
Red Wings
5-0
6
Pittsburgh
Penguins
2-1
7
Detroit
Penguins
2-1
And here's how the 2017 final is playing out:
Game
Host
Victor
Score
1
Pittsburgh
Penguins
5-3
2
Pittsburgh
Penguins
4-1
3
Nashville
Predators
5-1
4
Nashville
Predators
4-1
5
Pittsburgh
Penguins
6-0
6
Nashville
?
?
7
Pittsburgh
?
?
Like the Predators in 2017, the '09 Penguins outshot the Red Wings in their Game 1 and 2 losses, fueling hope of future road success.
A new age
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
The way the Predators are constructed could allow them to follow in the Penguins' footsteps and become a perennial NHL powerhouse.
Pittsburgh had already secured Crosby, Malkin, Kris Letang, and Marc-Andre Fleury long-term at the time of its 2009 Cup win. Nashville defenders P.K. Subban, Roman Josi, and Mattias Ekholm, as well as forwards Filip Forsberg and Calle Jarnkrok, are all locked up through at least the 2019-20 season on very team-friendly contracts, and the Predators have plenty of salary-cap space remaining.
That should allow general manager David Poile to complement this core with the pieces it needs to get back to the final - and if the Predators beat Pittsburgh in this first trip to start a dominant run, the Penguins can't claim they don't know how Nashville did it.
There have been two major talking points as to why the Predators, the NHL's 16th seed, have been able to make it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final:
1) The play of goaltender Pekka Rinne 2) The offense generated by their top-four defensemen
Rinne might be the No. 1 story of Nashville's playoff run, but the play of their defensemen has to be 1B.
P.K. Subban, Roman Josi, Ryan Ellis, and Mattias Ekholm have all been sensational in the postseason, but their combined numbers have taken a very slight hit in the Stanley Cup Final.
Stat
Rounds 1-3
vs. PIT
Goals per game
0.7
0.6
Assists per game
1.8
1.6
Points per game
2.4
2.2
Shots per game
9.1
8.2
Though it's just a small reduction in productivity, the argument could be made that if their points per game had increased by 0.2 instead of decreasing by 0.2, Nashville would be ahead in the series.
Perhaps the more telling statistic is scoring chances for (SCF). The following table indicates how many SCF the Predators have recorded per game (at five-on-five) while each player was on the ice.
As you can see, there is a more dramatic decrease compared to your standard goal and assist numbers. It's clear Nashville's top-four D aren't generating as much offense as they were, but why?
The main reason is because of the way Pittsburgh sets up in the defensive zone compared to Nashville's prior opponents.
St. Louis and Anaheim, in particular, collapsed in front of the net in order to block shots. This gave Nashville's mobile defensemen room to roam free in the offensive zone. They all have the ability to find open shooting lanes when given time with the puck on their stick.
The Penguins have done a terrific job taking away time and space from the Preds' defensemen. Rather than sitting back and trying to block shots, their forwards are out covering the points, forcing Nashville's defensemen to just chip pucks deep rather than holding onto the puck, setting up plays, and blasting point shots.
Nashville needs Subban, Josi, Ellis, and Ekholm to be difference-makers in Games 6 and 7 if it's going to win the Cup. The quartet is going to have to find a way to navigate through Pittsburgh's in-your-face defensive zone coverage in order to do so.
Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said Friday that his defenseman is "fine" despite taking a cross-check to the nose from Nashville Predators forward Colton Sissons in the final minute of Game 5 on Thursday night.
Here's a look at the incident, which drew a match penalty, according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti.
Sissons was automatically suspended pending a review by commissioner Gary Bettman, but the league announced Friday that the Predators center won't be suspended for Game 6.
June is an incredibly busy month for the NHL, but that doesn't mean we can't look ahead to what's coming. Free agency begins at 12 p.m. ET on July 1, and we're ranking the top 80 unrestricted free agents in a seven-post series ahead of the madness.
We're going to start at the bottom and work our way towards the top. Up first, UFAs ranked 80-66
80. Ondrej Pavelec (G)
Age on Oct. 1: 30 2016-17 Cap Hit: $3.9M
It's hard to believe Pavelec is only 29. It feels like he's been bad for so long. But, he's a goalie, and half-decent backups were hard to find this season. He had an .888 save percentage last season, and his career mark is .907. Buyer beware, but he won't cost much.
79. Vernon Fiddler (F)
Age on Oct. 1: 37 2016-17 Cap Hit: $1.25M
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
Hey, everyone needs fourth-line guys. And he's Stanley Cup finalist Vernon Fiddler to you, pal.
78. Matt Hendricks (F)
Age on Oct. 1: 36 2016-17 Cap Hit: $1.85M
No one said the names this low on the list were going to be pretty. Now that the Oilers can actually play, Hendricks saw his ice time reduced to 10:45 a night, and he only played in 42 games. He is who he is, and he's getting up there in age, but he'll tell you he can still kill a penalty or two.
77. Jean-Francois Berube (G)
Age on Oct. 1: 26 2016-17 Cap Hit: $675K
Again: Backup goalies were brutal this season. And Berube's only 26. Someone will take a chance, because the Islanders simply didn't play him enough to know what he brings to the table.
76. Chris VandeVelde (F)
Age on Oct. 1: 30 2016-17 Cap Hit: $712,500
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
VandeVelde's been a mainstay in the Flyers' bottom-six forwards for the past three seasons, in which he's recorded 15, 14, and 15 points. His possession numbers are brutal, but that's why he's in the bottom six, right? And one more team in the league means a few more bottom-six jobs.
75. Fedor Tyutin (D)
Age on Oct. 1: 34 2016-17 Cap Hit: $2M
Much like the fact teams need fourth-line guys, they also need depth defensemen. Tyutin averaged 18:56 in ice time in 69 games on Colorado's blue line this season, an experience he's probably trying his best to forget. He was a minus-25 with a ghastly 46.75 Corsi For rating. Think of him like a baseball reliever - someone's got to throw those innings.
74. Curtis McElhinney (G)
Age on Oct. 1: 34 2016/17 Cap Hit: $800K
Without McElhinney, the Maple Leafs miss the playoffs. Seriously. He finished at a respectable .917 in 15 starts and 21 games, and should be able to find another backup job.
73. Jiri Hudler (F)
Age on Oct. 1: 33 2016-17 Cap Hit: $2M
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
The Dallas experiment was a massive failure. Illness and injury limited Hudler to only 32 games, and he managed three goals and eight assists while playing only 11:51 a night. Prior to 2016-17, he had 81 points in his 125 games over two seasons, good for a .648 per-game average. We don't think he's done.
72. Drew Miller (F)
Age on Oct. 1: 33 2016-17 Cap Hit: $1.025M
It appears Miller's time in Detroit is over after eight seasons, and perhaps that's not a bad thing. His possession numbers were god-awful - it's better not to look. He can still skate, and he needs a fresh start somewhere else.
71. John Mitchell (F)
Age on Oct. 1: 32 2016-17 Cap Hit: $1.8M
After four straight seasons in which he scored 10 or more goals and had at least 20 points, Mitchell's production fell off a cliff this season. Blame the Avalanche; Mitchell probably does. Despite playing in Denver, Mitchell had a 49.29 Corsi For rating, which ranked fifth among Avs forwards who played at least 40 games.
70. Eric Gryba (D)
Age on Oct. 1: 29 2016-17 Cap Hit: $950K
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
Gryba didn't play all that much in 2016-17, but he finished with the Oilers' fourth-highest possession rating (52.13 percent) among players who suited up in at least 40 games. He's youngish - with 2017-18 his age-29 season - so there's some value here for a depth defenseman. At least we think so.
69. Scottie Upshall (F)
Age on Oct. 1: 33 (34 on Oct. 7) 2016-17 Cap Hit: $900K
Upshall recorded a respectable 10 goals and eight assists in 11 minutes per game on a 99-point Blues squad - and all for only $900,000. The possession numbers were nasty, though, but, again, there's a reason why bottom-six guys are bottom-six guys.
68. Brian Flynn (F)
Age on Oct. 1: 29 2016-17 Cap Hit: $950K
Flynn's age is why he's where he is on this list. He'll give you 10-to-15 points in around 50-to-60 games playing 12-to-14 minutes a night, and can be used on the penalty kill. Ain't nothing wrong with any of that.
67. Ryan White (F)
Age on Oct. 1: 29 2016-17 Cap Hit: $1M
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
Back-to-back 16-point seasons for White, who is nothing if not consistent. Traded to Minnesota in the Martin Hanzal deal, White had a 52.17 Corsi For rating with the Wild, despite being on the ice for 12 goals against and only four goals for.
66. Viktor Stalberg (F)
Age on Oct. 1: 31 2016-17 Cap Hit: $1.5M
Stalberg goes where there is work, and there is often work. Those two 20-goal seasons were nice, but won't happen again. However, he will chip in, and has been a positive possession player for most of his career.
In this week's edition of "On the Fly," we're talking Music City Miracle Part II. The Nashville Predators must win two in a row against the Penguins, one of those in Pittsburgh, to win the Stanley Cup. Can it be done?
Absolutely not
Josh Wegman: Given how desperate the Predators will be in Game 6, and the fact they'll have their amazing crowd behind them, I think they can force a Game 7. But can they win Game 7? Absolutely not.
Pekka Rinne's numbers have been subpar away from Bridgestone Arena this postseason, and his career numbers in Pittsburgh are horrendous.
If Nashville is going to win the remaining two games, Rinne will have to be at his best, and I'm not quite sure he's capable of that on the road, especially given Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are playing some of their best hockey.
Believe!
Esten McLaren: Yes.
The Penguins aren't winning a do-or-die Game 6 in Music City during CMA weekend. Pittsburgh fell flat in a 2-1 loss following its 7-0 victory over the Ottawa Senators in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final, so its 6-0 win in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final means little.
Game 7 will return to Pittsburgh, forcing Nashville to be the first team to win a road game in this series. The Predators own a Corsi For rating of 59.26 percent through the first three games in Pittsburgh. It will come down to goaltending, and while Matt Murray has had a significant advantage over Pekka Rinne at PPG Paints Arena, the Preds only need Rinne to be average while continuing to drive play in Pittsburgh's end to make this happen.
Rinne can't possibly be worse, right?
Nope
Josh Gold-Smith: In a word, no.
Sure, the Predators have history on their side with respect to Game 6, and it wouldn't be shocking to see Nashville bounce back with a victory Sunday night, but winning the series is another story.
Given how abysmal Pekka Rinne has been in Pittsburgh, and how his relatively inexperienced backup, Juuse Saros, hasn't been much better, it's hard to see the Predators prevailing in a winner-take-all game on the road if they do force the deciding contest.
Matt Murray has been nearly unbeatable on home ice in this series, so even if the Predators take the next one, they'll be hard-pressed to buck these ominous trends.
"I wasn't ready to stop playing, but that's how it ends for most guys, and when it happens, you've got to move on. I feel like I have a lot to offer, but I also have a lot to learn, too, and the management group here was willing to give me an opportunity that will let me experience different parts of the game."
Campbell will work with Blue Jackets player development coaches Chris Clark and Jarkko Ruutu to help guide the organization's top prospects in North America and Europe.
The 33-year-old was Columbus' final cut in training camp last fall, after which the club suspended him for his refusal to report to the AHL.
Campbell leaves the game having collected 71 goals and 187 points in 803 games, while racking up 696 penalty minutes. He won the Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins in 2011, and appears to have few regrets about his NHL tenure as a whole.
"I'm proud of what I accomplished in my playing career," Campbell said. "I won't ever be looked at as one of the greats, but I did everything I could to be the best player I could be. Nothing will be as much fun as playing, but there's a lot more to hockey, and I'm learning that now. I'm excited to help young guys find their way."
Sidney Crosby says P.K. Subban was channeling his inner mixed martial artist when the two stars got tangled up in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night.
"He lost his stick. He was doing some UFC move on my foot, so I don't know what he was trying to do," Crosby told reporters, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston. "I was trying to get out of there. He had lost his stick, he (was) just trying to hold me down. I don't know what he was trying to do with my ankle."
Crosby was asked if that's why he resorted to hitting Subban's head several times.
"Yeah," he replied. "I was in some kind of lock he had going on there. I don't know what it was."
Both players were given minor penalties for the dustup, but clearly their feud - which has manifested itself both on and off the ice - is far from over.
