There have been so many “franchise firsts… in the last 13 months… longest playoff run, first game seven win, first series sweep, first playoff win over Chicago…and all of them have been leading up to tonight. Game five in St. Louis with a 3-1 lead in the series, the Nashville Predators have a chance to go where no Pred team has gone before, the Western Conference finals. And they have multiple chances to do it.
You know the old saying, getting the fourth win is the hardest one. Keep in mind that saying is usually espoused by the team that is trailing in the series. We heard it from Chicago before game four, now we are hearing it from St. Louis. But with all the craziness surrounding this playoff run, the Nashville Predators have been amazingly even-keeled throughout; doing the right things, saying the right things and most importantly playing the right way for success.
Tonight, I expect the St. Louis Blues to come out ready to empty the tank and throw everything humanly possible at the Preds in order to extend this series. A win tonight (at least in the mind of the Blues) starts sowing doubt into Nashville’s locker room. That is a big assumption.
It would be great if Nashville could close this series out tonight, if they can survive the first ten minutes of push from St. Louis, fueled by the Scottrade Center crowd, the Predators should be in pretty good shape. If St. Louis jumps out to an early lead… something they have not done in this series, we would see how Nashville would respond to playing from behind.
Preds head coach Peter Laviolette talked about it in practice yesterday, discipline will play a huge role tonight. The team that stays out of the penalty box will most probably win tonight. Blues coach Mike Yeo has been doing his best to work the refs and claim his team has been wronged by the officials… unfortunately for Yeo, the data doesn’t back that up… Nashville has had one more power play over the series. So, as they say in Bucksnort Tennessee… that dawg don’t hunt.
St. Louis showed a wrinkle at their practice yesterday, potentially putting the Vladimirs together, slotting Sobotka and Tarasenko on the same line. Something Yeo tried a few times during game four to limited success. It looks a little like what Joel Quinneville tried in game four of the Chicago series in putting Kane and Toews on the same line. Nashville countered that well, but Sobotka and Tarasenko could be a much more lethal combo. The Blues have to get either one of these players on track or their chances of a comeback in this series are almost nil…
On the injury front, Craig Smith was a full participant in practice yesterday and his return appears imminent… if not tonight, then very, very soon. Post-practice quotes from yesterday showed a focused team, strongly saying that they want to get this thing done tonight and given that the other Western Conference series looks like it will probably go seven, closing out the series tonight will have real benefit for Nashville, a couple of days of rest will be very beneficial after this bruising series.
But there is much work to be done… game time is 7pm. Local coverage on 102.5 the Game gets going at 6pm with Darren McFarland hosting live from St. Louis. Pete Weber has the call at 7pm. NBCSN has the TV coverage with Kenny Albert on play-by-play. There is a plaza party at Bridgestone Arena planned, with Luke Bryan playing the arena, it is sure to be a lot of fun.
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Round Two Reset
Eastern Conference
NYR vs OTT – Series tied 2-2 - Game five is tomorrow in Ottawa
WSH vs PIT – PIT leads 3-1 - Game five is tomorrow night in Washington
Western Conference
STL vs. NSH – NSH leads 3-1 - Game five is tonight in St. Louis
ANA vs. EDM – Series is tied 2-2 - Game five is tonight in Anaheim
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Playoff Random Notes
- Today is the anniversary of last year’s triple overtime game… or was it yesterday? Well… both could be right as the anniversary of the game’s start was yesterday, the anniversary of the game’s finish is today.
- Ryan Ellis has a seven game playoff point streak going, tied with Colin Wilson for the franchise record… a point tonight and it belongs solely to Ellis.
- Travis Yost has an interesting column on tsn.ca today… pointing out that PK Subban has a consistent and widespread positive effect on his teammates Corsi% in the playoffs… fascinating stuff.
- James Neal may be a big x-factor tonight… he tends to score in bunches and his goal in game four could be the triggering mechanism for an outburst.
- The Nashville Predators announced a new ECHL affiliation yesterday as the Norfolk Admirals join the Preds farm system. Hmmm… it kinda remind me of the old Monty Python sketch… mind if we call you Admirals (wait what? That’s your name? Cool!!!)
- The Vegas Golden Knights won the internet yesterday with this post, previewing their lines
Updated Golden Knights Lines😉
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 5, 2017
CC: @BSH_Joe
Guy-Vadim Shipachyov-Reid Duke
Guy-Guy-Guy
Guy-Guy-Guy
Guy-Guy-Guy
Guy-Guy
Guy-Guy
Guy-Guy
- The New York Rangers have certainly taken control of the Ottawa Senators… looks like the clock is approaching midnight for my Cinderella team.
- Two games in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs tonight – 7pm – NSH @ STL (NBCSN). 9:30pm – EDM @ ANA (NBCSN).
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The gauntlet has been thrown down from my fellow blogger in St. Louis, Jason Millen. We will make a small wager on this series… losing team’s blogger makes a donation to the winning team’s blogger charity of choice…
Mine will be Best Buddies of Tennessee… a charity very familiar to fans of the fang…
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