Time for some Sunday Shots! Click for more from the SlapShot Radio Facebook page.
At long last… the regular season is done with last night’s 4-2 victory over the Columbus “I don’t wanna play Pittsburgh in the first round… Blue Jackets. NIne scratches included a lot of big names... You have to wonder what kind of bulletin board material that gives the Washington Capitals. I get the whole “resting your studs… thing, but I don’t know if you need to make it that obvious…
Nashville came out hot after accepting the President’s Trophy in a pregame ceremony, getting the scoring started with a top shelf rocket from Austin Watson. Then… Filip Forsberg took over. Tallying his 24th of the season just four minutes later, converting a sweet setup from Scott Hartnell and then what could’ve been the dagger, Forsberg took an interior pass from Craig Smith with time winding down in the first period, took a step back and fired, beating Joonas Korpisalo with less than a second remaining to put the Preds up three.
Give the Jackets credit, they fought their way back into the game, getting goals from Josh Anderson and Brandon Dubinsky to close the gap to one with about 12 minutes to play, but they couldn’t get the equalizer and Filip Forsberg let loose a ¾ ice shot with the net empty to capture his sixth hat trick of his career and sent Smashville home with Frosty’s.
So… that’s it… Game One will either be Wednesday or Thursday in Smashville… the playoff schedule will probably be released after tonight’s Bruins/Panthers game. The Predators now know that the Colorado Avalanche will be their first round opponent.
I will be breaking down the playoffs as I see them… I already have a few hot takes ready… Aslo, don’t forget the SlapShot Radio playoff preview show that is scheduled for Wednesday at 7pm… unless the Predators are playing…
Stay tuned.
Here are last night’s highlights… ------------------------------------
The Playoff Tracker … a daily update of the Stanley Cup Playoffs brought to you by Mark Lonsway - THE real estate professional for hockey fans!
The playoff field is set but there still is a question on tonight’s Boston/Florida makeup game. A Boston win and the Bruins will capture the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference and will play the New Jersey Devils in the first round. Anything else and they play Toronto. Six of the eight series are set… Eastern Conference Tampa Bay Lightning/Boston Bruins vs New Jersey Devils Washington Capitals vs. Columbus Blue Jackets Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers Lightning/Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Western Conference Nashville Predators vs. Colorado Avalanche Vegas Golden Knights vs. Los Angeles Kings Winnipeg Jets vs. Minnesota Wild Anaheim Ducks vs San Jose Sharks
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Random Notes
- With Alain Vigneault being fired by the Rangers last night… the first coach has been relieved of their duties in this season…
- Epic troll of Columbus from Krazy Kyle last night… if you didn’t catch it… I ain’t tellin’
- Plenty of ex-Preds on Colorado, Gabriel Bourque, Sam Girard, Vlad Kaminev… and Colin Wilson. Hmmm… does “Playoff… Colin Wilson appear to burn his old team?
- ICYMI – Here is the annual end of season video played at the game last night.
- The Vegas Golden Knights seemed to have everyone’s number this season… except the Los Angeles Kings… their first round opponent? Yup…
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