The Predators had their first home game 7 in franchise history and never gave themselves a chance to win it
The Predators had their first home game 7 in franchise history and never gave themselves a chance to win it
There was no storybook continuation of the southern hockey story in Nashville tonight. The Nashville Predators got ran out of their own building with the season on the line, losing to the Winnipeg Jets, 5-1.
The NHL has had 171 game sevens in league history, and home teams are now 101-71 all-time in them. This was Nashville’s third game seven in franchise history overall, and the first at home. But home was not where the heart was for Nashville in this series. The Jets took three of four from Predators in Nashville, and did so in dominating fashion during each win (4-1, 6-2 and 5-1).
From the early going in game seven, the Jets put the pressure on and kept it there, jumping on Nashville and forcing Predators goalie Pekka Rinne to be pulled in the first period. The hook was quick because the goals were soft. The opener started things going in the wrong direction on a terrible mistake by the usually stout Rinne.
Winnipeg would add a second two minutes later when Paul Stasny put another soft goal in off a rebound.
Stasny assisted Tyler Myers’ opener, and would score his second goal on a power play in the third period to truly put the game out of reach. Mark Scheifele’s empty netter 17:27 into the third was salt in the wound of a result that was purely academic by the time.
The Jets were aggressive all evening, and the Predators bumbled — especially in the neutral zone. Nashville had 24 giveaways to Winnipeg’s 10.
It’s onto the Western Conference Final for the Jets now for the first time in franchise history.
sbnation.com
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