The entire city was in a frenzy before, during, and after the club's triumphant 5-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 3. It was a spectacle, one that defenseman P.K. Subban correctly predicted ahead of the game.
Well, the Preds took care of the Penguins on Saturday, and Bridgestone Arena was absolutely rocking. It may be a tough atmosphere to top, but Subban is pretty certain it can be done.
"Our fans don't get enough credit for knowing the game and knowing hockey. And they do know the game. And they understand the importance of these games. You thought it was loud today? It'll be even louder in Game 4," he said, according to Yahoo! Sports' Greg Wyshynski.
Some of the chants the fans scream out - and the synchronization they do it with - makes the atmosphere resemble that of an overseas soccer game or a college football contest.
The good people of Smashville have certainly made Bridgestone Arena a hostile environment for visiting teams, as Nashville now holds an 8-1 record at home during the postseason.
Even during the regular season - in which the Preds stumbled into the playoffs as the West's second wild-card team and the NHL's 16th seed overall - they posted a record of 24-9-8 at home. Only Washington, Pittsburgh, and Anaheim finished with fewer regulation losses at home.
If Game 4 is even louder than Game 3 was, it only increases the chances of Subban and the Preds evening the series up at two games apiece.
Roman Josi led the way with a goal and two assists to jump into second in defenseman scoring this postseason, while Mattias Ekholm collected a goal - his first of the playoffs - and an assist in the team's crucial 5-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Predators quartet has combined for 47 points in 19 games. Meanwhile, the Oilers of '84 recorded 52 points in 19 games, while the '93 Kings' top-four had 43 combined points in 24 games.
Like the old saying goes: "defense wins championships."
With the offseason underway for a number of teams and the remainder 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: F
The disparity between the regular-season Western Conference champions and the outfit that managed just three goals in a four-game sweep at the hands of the Nashville Predators earns this year's Blackhawks a big fat F.
General manager Stan Bowman himself called the season a "complete failure," after bowing out of the playoffs in the first round for the second time in as many seasons.
The Blackhawks, as usual, are stuck to the salary cap ceiling, and some serious upheaval might be required to make things work, and help an aging, but still star-studded roster take another crack at glory.
Free Agents
Player (Position)
2017-18 Status
Age
2016-17 Cap Hit
2016-17 Points
Andrew Desjardins (C)
UFA
30
$800K
1
Dennis Rasmussen (C)
RFA
26
$575K
8
Tomas Jurco (LW)
RFA
24
$900K
1
Brian Campbell (D)
UFA
38
$1.5M
17
Johnny Oduya (D)
UFA
35
$3.75M
9 (2 with Blackhawks)
None of these expiring contracts are all-too pressing, and the Blackhawks have awarded forward Richard Panik and defenseman Michal Kempny with extensions so far in the offseason.
The most interesting decision surrounds Jurco, the former Red Wings prospect acquired by the club for a third-round pick before the trade deadline. Jurco has struggled to find his stride in parts of four NHL seasons, but he could fit on the wing for the cap-strapped Blackhawks.
2017 Draft Picks
Round
Picks
1
1
2
1
3
1 (From OTT)
4
1
5
3 (Own + CAR/STL)
6
2 (Own + NYI)
7
1 (From ANA)
Chicago has a bevy of late picks, and while it's a good opportunity to stock its cupboard with promising prospects, Bowman would be wise to attempt to package picks with a high-salary player to create some cap space.
Summer Priorities
1. Don't let Vegas take van Riemsdyk
Due to no-movement clauses in the contracts of defensemen Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, and Niklas Hjalmarsson, Chicago's expansion protection choices are already made on the back end should it choose the 7-3-1 format.
That would leave Trevor van Riemsdyk exposed for the Golden Knights, something the Blackhawks should nullify by offering Vegas general manager George McPhee one, or multiple of their excess draft picks in exchange for not picking van Riemsdyk in the expansion draft.
Van Riemsdyk, 25, made positive strides last season and is only owed $825,000 for 2017-18. Sorting out a deal to keep the defenseman would make Marcus Kruger the best player available for Vegas, and his potential departure to Sin City would take $3.083 million off Chicago's books.
2. Unload a big contract
This won't be easy, but Bowman needs to explore all options to get rid of one of the numerous long-term contracts burdening the Blackhawks' ledger.
Some of the deals restraining Chicago's flexibility include:
Player (Position)
Age
Cap Hit
NMC?
Marian Hossa (RW)
38
$5.725M
Yes
Artem Anisimov (C)
29
$4.55M
Yes
Seabrook (D)
32
$6.875M
Yes
Hjalmarsson (D)
29
$4.1M
Yes (inclues modified no-trade clause)
Again, it won't be easy. If Bowman can find a deal to move any of these players, he should take it, even if it includes retaining salary.
Trading either defenseman makes more sense, as the Blackhawks can ill-afford to further deteriorate their forward depth. However, on the decline, Seabrook might not have many takers, while losing Hjalmarsson would greatly hurt Chicago's defensive-zone play.
In hindsight, choosing any of the above players as a cap casualty rather than, say, Brandon Saad or Teuvo Teravainen, might have helped Chicago avoid this particular pickle in 2017, but it's paramount Bowman analyzes all avenues to afford himself some breathing room.
3. Give DeBrincat a shot
(Photo Courtesy: Getty Images)
This decision will come closer to training camp, but the Blackhawks need to give Alex DeBrincat a serious look for an NHL job.
DeBrincat's size (5-foot-7) pushed him down draft boards to 39th overall last June, where Chicago shrewdly nabbed him. As a member of the Erie Otters, DeBrincat recorded a whopping 65 goals and 62 assists in 2016-17, earning him CHL Player of the Year honors for 2016-17.
In each of his three seasons with Erie, DeBrincat recorded 100-plus points, making him one of just eight players to do so in the OHL's modern era. His height may be a concern, but his junior days are clearly behind him, and Chicago should take advantage of his cheap entry-level cap hit.
2017-18 Outlook
The Blackhawks have been in this position before, but this time around - with their core growing older - it feels like something has to give for the club to rediscover its championship identity.
Writing off Chicago as contenders is a little premature, but in order to maintain and continue its run of success in the Western Conference, the Blackhawks' salary conundrum needs to be resolved this summer.
"Usually when guys chirp after the game or during the game, it's usually about your game or something personal," Subban said, according to Yahoo Sports' Greg Wyshynski. "(Crosby) went on to tell me that my breath smelled bad, and I really don't understand why, because I use Listerine before the game. I thought my breath smelled great. But at the end of the day, we're just going to take the win and move on."
Three things:
1. Credit to Subban for being the, uh, bigger man. 2. Crosby needs to work on his trash-talking game. 3. If they weren't hockey fans at Listerine headquarters before Saturday night, they sure are now.
Predators goalie Pekka Rinne, meanwhile, came to the defense of his star defenseman.
The Nashville Predators won Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final over the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1 on Saturday, and now trail the best-of-seven series 2-1, with Game 4 set for Monday night.
Here are six takeaways after a convincing and impressive Preds win in a rocking Nashville.
Pekka's back
Pekka Rinne looked like Pekka Rinne on Saturday, and that's a big reason why the series will go back to Pittsburgh.
It was a bit of a shaky start for the Finn, as he seemed to be battling the puck. Considering Pittsburgh was up 1-0 only three minutes in, if Rinne didn't find his game/confidence, this series could have been deemed all but officially over.
But Rinne was exceptional in the second period, stopping all 13 shots he faced, including two big stops a few moments after Nashville took its first lead of the series by scoring twice in 42 seconds. He kicked out a low Phil Kessel drive from the right wing before robbing Chris Kunitz on the rebound, moving left to right to make a brilliant glove save and keep his team in the lead.
If Kunitz ties it up, who knows what happens?
Rinne finished with 27 saves and outplayed Matt Murray. Precisely what the Preds needed.
P.K.'s a prophet
P.K. Subban guaranteed a Game 3 victory. P.K. Subban was very much right.
Ask yourself: how could a team possibly trade Subban? It's insane. And appreciate the fact P.K.'s playing for the Cup. That's about as good as it gets.
Hockey city
Nashvile was up for its first Stanley Cup Final game. It enjoyed every minute of it.
The tweets were flying from the moment warmups began: it was loud, very loud, arguably the loudest ever, at the Bridgestone Arena, where Predators fans took "playoff atmosphere" to a whole other level.
Murray was ruthlessly jeered, catfish were thrown to the ice, and a good - and likely drunken - time was had by all (except the Penguins).
The Predators improved to 8-1 in the playoffs at home, outscoring their opponents 30-14. They're all but unbeatable at home, which means this series could be heading back to Pennsylvania all tied up.
"This is a place we love to play," James Nealsaid after his team's win. "I'm proud to be a part of it."
Murray will start Game 4
Don't do it. Just, don't. Forget asking who'll start in goal for the Penguins in Game 4, don't even think about the question.
Murray didn't have his best game, beaten four times to his glove side, but he'll be in the Pittsburgh crease when Game 4 begins Monday night. He has to be. Why? Because he's Pittsburgh's No. 1 goalie. He was last spring, he was this season, and while Marc-Andre Fleury deserves a ton of credit for playing an integral role in getting the Penguins back to the final, the Flower's the backup and remains the backup - period.
These are the Western Conference champion Predators. They beat the Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, and Anaheim Ducks to get to the final. They were never going to roll over, despite their injuries. A little respect, please.
Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan deserves credit for going back to Murray when he did. But once he did, Murray became his guy the rest of the way. To go back to Fleury now would be to overthink the issue.
Pittsburgh hasn't played very good hockey through three games, but they're still only two wins away from the Cup - and that's one closer than Nashville is.
Josi the god
The best way to describe Roman Josi's Game 3 performance: Beastly.
Josi was an absolute force, scoring his sixth goal of the playoffs (to lead all defensemen) and adding two assists. He's the first defenseman to record three points in a Cup Final game since Duncan Keith in 2010.
Arguably the most underrated d-man in hockey, Josi played 23:36, including over five minutes on special teams. He finished with a 58.62 Corsi For percentage.
"He's as consistent a player as there is in the NHL," said his head coach Peter Laviolette, according to the Star Tribune's Michael Russo.
Fact.
Preds stepped up
In order for the Preds to get back into this series, Rinne had to return to form, and certain players had to step up. They did.
Neal's goal was his first since Game 2 against the Ducks, Craig Smith and Mattias Ekholm found the back of the net for the first time in the playoffs, Calle Jarnkrok's two-assist game was his first multi-point effort of the second season, and Frederick Gaudreau's second career goal (both coming in the postseason) gave Nashville a lead it wouldn't relinquish. Huge contributions, all.
Nineteen different Predators have scored a goal in the postseason, a club record. Mike Fisher can make it 20, and you get the feeling he will, perhaps as soon as Monday.
The Predators defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1 in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, cutting their series deficit to one after dropping the first two games in Pittsburgh.
Apparently, the key to success was holding the Penguins' two superstars, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, off the scoresheet. Both failed to register a shot in Game 3 - the first time they've done so in the same playoff game since becoming teammates in 2006.
Crosby finished the night with an assist, while Malkin was held pointless, and had a minus-one rating. The two centers shared a seat in the penalty box and watched Predators defenseman Mattias Ekholm's power-play goal - Nashville's fifth of the night.
It was a night of positives all around for the Predators. Pushing the team to victory were key goals from winger James Neal, who snapped a six-game goalless drought, and forward Craig Smith, who picked up his first marker of the postseason.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Pekka Rinne and the Nashville Predators are very hard to beat on their own ice this postseason, and now they have added their biggest piece of franchise history yet.
A victory in the Stanley Cup Final.
The embattled Rinne not only started, he made 27 saves. Roman Josi and Frederick Gaudreau scored 42 seconds apart in the second period, and the Predators beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1 Saturday night to pull within 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.
The Predators capped the biggest party in Nashville history with a victory that gave thousands of fans inside and outside of the arena reason to celebrate with even country star Keith Urban and wife, actress Nicole Kidman, high-fiving.
And credit Rinne for coming through with a very stingy performance and improving to 8-1 in Nashville this postseason.
The Predators call the 6-foot-5 Finn their backbone, yet critics wanted him benched after looking so shaky in the first two games in Pittsburgh giving up eight goals on just 36 shots. Coach Peter Laviolette benched him in the third period of Game 2 when Rinne gave up three goals in the first 3:28 of a 4-1 loss.
Josi also had two assists. James Neal, Craig Smith and Mattias Ekholm also scored for Nashville as the Predators worked out some frustration against the Pens.
''Like our team has done the whole playoffs against Chicago, St. Louis, Anaheim, we showed really good composure,'' said Nashville defenseman P.K. Subban, who had predicted a win in Game 3. ''We're going to take that into the next game.''
Game 4 is Monday night.
Jake Guentzel scored his 13th goal this postseason and fourth of this series for Pittsburgh and now is one off Dino Ciccarelli's rookie record of 14 in 1981 for Minnesota. Guentzel, already with two game-winning goals in the series, put the Penguins up 1-0 on their second shot with a wrister off a rebound of Ian Cole that beat Rinne just 2:46 into the game.
Rinne stopped the next 26 shots for the victory and the party continued into the night.
Laviolette stuck with Rinne after lots of questions about his goalie, though he did sit veterans Cody McLeod and Vern Fiddler to get more speed with Harry Zolnierczyk and P.A. Parenteau. Pittsburgh forward Carl Hagelin played for the first time with center Nick Bonino out after taking a Subban slap shot off his left foot in Game 2 that left him on crutches and in a walking boot.
Matt Murray extended his scoreless streak to 72:54 with the Pittsburgh goalie looking ready to notch his 21st playoff win. Then he gave up five goals in the span of 15 shots.
The Predators got it started with a three-goal flurry in the second.
Josi scored his sixth goal off a slap shot at 5:51, tying it at 1-1 and finally giving nervous fans something to enjoy. Then Gaudreau, who scored his first career NHL goal in Game 1, scored 42 seconds later to put Nashville ahead with his wrister from the high slot, taking advantage of a screen by Penguins defenseman Cole to beat Murray glove-side.
Just after that go-ahead goal, the Penguins had a rush on Rinne, and the three-time Vezina Trophy finalist made back-to-back big saves. First, he stopped Phil Kessel's wrister from the right circle. The rebound bounced back into the slot, and Rinne made a save on Chris Kunitz with an assist from Subban sliding over to help.
Neal made it 3-1 with 22.6 seconds left in the second, banking the puck off Murray's left arm for his first goal in the series and sixth of the playoffs. Smith's goal on a breakaway at 4:54 was his first of the playoffs, and Ekholm padded the lead with a power-play goal with 6:50 left.
Notes: Smith is the 18th different Nashville player to score a goal this postseason. ... The Penguins went 0 of 3 on the power play and now are 1 of 13 in this series. ... With an assist, Sidney Crosby now has 160 career playoff points (56 goals, 104 assists) and tied Mike Bossy, Gordie Howe, Bobby Smith and Al MacInnis for 20th all-time.
