NHL - Eastern Conference Final - Pittsburgh Penguins vs Ottawa Senators - Pens Wins Series 4-3

Game 1 - Ottawa Senators @ Penguins 2-1 OT - Saturday, May 13, 2017
Ottawa Senators forward Bobby Ryan was the second pick in the 2005 NHL Draft, behind Sidney Crosby. Ryan has impressed during his 10 NHL seasons but has never reached the heights Crosby has. But in Game 1, Ryan scored 4:59 into overtime to give the Senators a 2-1 win against Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final at PPG Paints Arena. Ryan skated in on goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and went forehand to backhand to score.

The Senators are 6-1 in overtime this postseason. Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin tied it 1-1 with 5:35 remaining in the third period. It was his sixth goal, and he leads the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 19 points. Fleury made 33 saves for the Penguins; Craig Anderson made 27 for the Senators.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau gave Ottawa a 1-0 lead at 14:32 of the first period. Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin turned over the puck behind the net to Ryan, who backhanded a pass that Pageau one-timed over Fleury's glove for his eighth goal of the playoffs. Pageau had 12 goals in 82 regular-season games.

The Senators thought they took a 2-0 lead after Fredrik Claesson wrapped a shot around the net and Alexandre Burrows backhanded it in with 7:12 left in the second period. The referee ruled he deemed the play dead when Fleury had the puck covered with his glove, which is not subject to review. Pittsburgh failed to score on four first-period power plays. It had a 5-on-3 for 45 seconds after Ottawa was called for too many men on the ice at 4:58, and the Penguins nearly took the lead when Patric Hornqvist's shot hit the post 14 seconds later. Penguins forward Phil Kessel hit the crossbar with 2:57 left in the third period.

* After the puck was tipped away from Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz along the near wall, Ryan charged past defenseman Olli Maatta before scoring on Fleury.

* Fleury preserved the 1-1 tie after Turris set up Clarke MacArthur, who one-timed an attempt on goal. Fleury used his pad to make the save with 3:09 remaining in the third period.

* Chris Kunitz retrieved the puck below the goal line, carried it up the wall and shot toward the net, where Malkin tipped it through Anderson's legs
* Defenseman Marc Methot led Ottawa with seven hits and four blocks playing 23:34.* Ryan's goal was his fifth of the playoffs. He went six games without one since scoring four in the first six games. … Ryan was drafted by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and was traded to Ottawa after the 2012-13 season. … Malkin has 148 playoff points (54 goals, 94 assists), one more than Jaromir Jagr for third-most in Penguins history behind Mario Lemieux (172) and Crosby (151). ... Three teams have more overtime wins in a single postseason than Ottawa's six: the 1993 Montreal Canadiens (10), 2002 Carolina Hurricanes (seven) and 2003 Mighty Ducks (seven), according to the Elias Sports Bureau. ... Ottawa has won Game 1 in each of its three conference finals (2003, 2007). ... Senators forward Tommy Wingels replaced Viktor Stalberg, who is day to day with an undisclosed injury. … Penguins forward Carl Hagelin missed a second game with a lower-body injury.

Pens Quotes

"In the third period, we played so much better. We talked in [the] locker room, we understood how they play and started to play better. Like in overtime, they scored a tough goal. We understand. They waited. They need one chance, 2-on-1 or 3-on-2 to score. They have good players. We need to play like [we did Thursday against the Washington Capitals in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Second Round]." Malkin said.
"This is playoff hockey... You're going to play games where you get chances and they don't go in. But if you play the right way, eventually it'll end up going in. I think we just need to keep the same mindset and find ways to get better."  Crosby said.
"We had a lot of offensive-zone time. I don't think we got enough pucks to the net. We're looking for that next play instead of putting that puck at the net." Mike Sullivan

Game 2 - Ottawa Senators @ Penguins 0-1 - Monday, May 15, 2017
Phil Kessel needed one shot in Game 2. Kessel scored on his only shot on goal with 6:55 left in the third period to help the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 1-0 win against the Ottawa Senators in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final at PPG Paints Arena. After receiving a pass from Evgeni Malkin, Kessel shot off Jean-Gabriel Pageau, collected the puck and shot past Craig Anderson's left pad. Kessel's goal ended his three-game scoring drought. Marc-Andre Fleury made 23 saves for his second shutout in his past three starts. He has allowed two goals during that span. Anderson made 28 saves for the Senators. Pittsburgh outshot Ottawa 12-6 in the second period and had the first eight shots of the third. The Senators' first shot of the third period came on a backhand from forward Zack Smith with 4:54 left. Their previous shot came with 3:47 remaining in the second period.

Penguins right wing Bryan Rust and defenseman Justin Schultz each left during the first half of the first period with apparent injuries. Rust left after absorbing a hit from Dion Phaneuf in the middle of the offensive zone at 4:58. Schultz attempted to bump Mike Hoffman off the puck behind the Penguins net and slid into the end boards at 9:30 before immediately leaving to the locker room.
The Penguins played the rest of the game with 11 forwards and five defensemen. Pittsburgh forward Patric Hornqvist did not play because of an undisclosed injury after participating in line rushes during warmups. He missed practice Sunday and Pittsburgh's optional morning skate Monday before coach Mike Sullivan labeled him a game-time decision. Sullivan did not provide updates on Hornqvist, Rust or Schultz following the game. Forward Carl Hagelin, who was also a game-time decision, returned after missing the previous two games because of a lower-body injury.

* Kessel's goal was the latest game-winner he had ever scored in 60 career Stanley Cup Playoff games.
* Scott Wilson nearly gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead with 37.2 seconds left in the second period when a puck slipped to him in front of the Ottawa crease. He caught it and shot on Anderson, who made the save and covered the puck before Sidney Crosby poked at it.

* Crosby won a faceoff and immediately passed to Jake Guentzel drifting toward the net. All alone in front, Guentzel lifted a shot over the Senators goal and into the netting with 7:58 remaining in the second period.

* Wilson had a game-high 10 hits, including four on one shift.

* Ottawa was shut out for the first time since a 3-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Feb. 24 (a stretch of 36 games). Senators forward Viktor Stalberg missed a second consecutive game because of an undisclosed injury. … Penguins forward Conor Sheary did not take part in line rushes during pregame warmups, but played in Hornqvist's spot on the third line. After Rust left in the first period, Sheary was moved to the first line. 

"We had a lot of chances. Obviously, it's an emotional game. There are ups and downs. We found a way." Kessel said.
At one point, television cameras caught Kessel yelling on the bench. Following the game, Kessel said he couldn't remember what he said.
"To be honest, I think I yelled more than once tonight."
"Wait. I just tried to skate to the corners. Stretch out. … I just tried to stay loose. I tried to talk to the guys when they came by and tried to keep my head into it. I always expected [Ottawa] to come with a push at the end, especially after the goal there." Fleury said when asked about what he did between Senators shots.
"I thought it was a pretty solid effort start to finish. We have to play a patient game. We have to make sure we take what's given out there." Mike Sullivan

"I thought our game was just solid. … You don't let the fact that it's not going in change the way you play. I think we did a good job of that tonight." Sidney Crosby

Game 3 - Penguins @ Ottawa Senators 1-5 - Wednesday, May 17, 2017

The Ottawa Senators scored four first-period goals in a 5-1 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final at Canadian Tire Centre. Mike Hoffman, Marc Methot, Derick Brassard and Zack Smith scored in the first, and Kyle Turris also had a goal for Ottawa. Craig Anderson made 25 saves. Sidney Crosby scored for Pittsburgh. Marc-Andre Fleury allowed four goals on nine shots and was replaced by Matt Murray, who made 19 saves in his 2017 Stanley Cup Playoff debut. Hoffman gave the Senators a 1-0 lead 48 seconds into the game. Methot scored at 10:34, Brassard scored at 12:28 and Smith scored at 12:52 to make it 4-0. The three goals came in a 2:18 span, the fastest the Senators have scored three in the playoffs in their history. Ottawa's previous record was 4:00 in a 5-0 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 1 of the 2002 conference semifinals. Turris scored at 18:18 of the second period to make it 5-0. Crosby scored on the power play at 6:07 of the third to make it 5-1. Murray, who helped the Penguins win the Stanley Cup last season, played for the first time since April 6. He was injured during warmups prior to Game 1 of the first round against the Columbus Blue Jackets on April 12.

* Hoffman gave the Senators the start they wanted when he banked a shot from along the goal line off the bottom of Fleury's pad.
"I got one early on and then the crowd got into it and it seemed like we got rolling and they couldn't play with it or stop it," Hoffman said.

* With the Senators on the power play at 7:29 of the second period, Penguins forwards Matt Cullen and Carter Rowney broke out on a 2-on-1. Cullen passed to Rowney and Anderson made a sharp glove save.

* Smith shot the puck off the boards and gathered the rebound. He skated around the net and scored on a wraparound with Fleury out of position.

* Smith led Ottawa forwards in ice time with 18:44, and had four shots, five hits and one blocked shot. He also played 2:27 shorthanded.

* Hoffman's goal was the third fastest in Senators playoff history. Brassard was 14-for-16 (88 percent) on faceoffs; Ottawa was 37-for-57 (65 percent) in the game. Senators forward Alexandre Burrows left the game in the second period after sustaining a lower-body injury when he was tangled up with Penguins defenseman Ian Cole in front of the Penguins net. Boucher said he was hopeful Burrows would be available for Game 4. … Sullivan dressed seven defensemen with Trevor Daley and Mark Streit returning to the lineup. … The team that wins Game 3 to take a 2-1 lead in a best-of-7 series is 205-99, including 3-2 this postseason.

"Like always in the playoffs, I think we've been good at [having] short memories. If it's a 2-1 loss or a 5-1 loss, we look at it the same way and just put it behind us and be ready for the next one." Marc-Andre Fleury
"You can't expect to win games getting a start like that, especially in the playoffs." Crosby said.
It was Crosby's first point of the series and his first goal in eight games.
"I just think we've got to be more ready to play from the drop of the puck. I think, when you give up a goal that early in the game against a team that's playing at home, it gives their team a lot of energy. So I think we've got to be ready right from the drop of the puck, and we simply have to be better. We've got to be playing on our toes. It's tough when you give up that many goals in the first period. You don't really give your team a chance in the game. It wasn't like we gave up a lot of scoring chances. We didn't. But they all seemed to go in the net." Mike Sullivan said.

Game 4 - Penguins @ Ottawa Senators 3-2 - Friday, May 19, 2017

Matt Murray made 24 saves in his first start of this postseason, and the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Ottawa Senators 3-2 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final at Canadian Tire Centre. Olli Maatta, Sidney Crosby and Brian Dumoulin scored to give the Penguins a 3-0 lead 11:30 into the second period.

Clarke MacArthur and Tom Pyatt scored for the Senators, and Craig Anderson made 32 saves. Ottawa finished the game on the power play when Pittsburgh was penalized for having too many on the ice with 35 seconds left. Murray, playing in place of Marc-Andre Fleury, made nine saves in the third period. Maatta gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead when he scored his first Stanley Cup Playoff goal (in 47 games) off a pass from Crosby on an odd-man rush with 46 seconds left in the first period. Crosby scored on the power play at 7:41 of the second period to make it 2-0, and Dumoulin made it 3-0 at 11:30 with his first of this postseason. MacArthur scored with 1:38 left in the period to make it 3-1.
Pyatt made it 3-2 with 5:01 remaining in the third period when a shot by Karlsson deflected in off him. Murray, who was injured during warmups before Game 1 of the first round against the Columbus Blue Jackets, made his 2017 playoffs debut in relief of Fleury in Game 3.

* Dumoulin scored when his shot went in off the skate of Ottawa defenseman Dion Phaneuf.

* With the Senators trailing by one, on the power play and with Anderson on the bench for an extra attacker, Murray got his right pad on a shot by Karlsson with 10 seconds left in the third period.

* Bobby Ryan held the puck along the right-wing boards before spinning and delivering a no-look pass onto MacArthur's stick for his goal.

* The Penguins lost defenseman Chad Ruhwedel to injury in the first period, forcing four of the remaining five to play more than 20 minutes: Maatta (24:58), Brian Dumoulin (23:29), Trevor Daley (23:03) and Ron Hainsey (20:42). Ian Cole played 19:47.

* Sullivan said Ruhwedel sustained a concussion when he was hit by Ryan with 26 seconds left in the first period. … The Penguins scored one goal in each of the first three games of this series. … Ottawa was 0-for-4 on the power play to extend its streak to 0-for-25 and nine games, dating to Game 2 of the second round against the New York Rangers. … Dumoulin scored his third goal in 45 playoff games; he has two goals in 163 NHL regular-season games. ... Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin played his 140th playoff game to tie Jaromir Jagr for most in Penguins history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. ... Pittsburgh forward Josh Archibald played 8:11 in his Stanley Cup Playoff debut.

"As I've said all along here, this group has a knack for responding the right way to any of the adversities or the challenges that this team has been faced with. I think it always starts with our leadership. It starts with our captain (Crosby)." Mike Sullivan
"It's not an easy thing to do. All I can really do is kind of jump in and try not to think about it. Just try and play with the flow of the game and kind of let yourself get lost in the game a little bit.
"I thought I did a pretty good job of that tonight. There's a lot of ways I could have been a lot better, I thought, but all together felt good about the game. And like I said, the guys played unbelievably tonight. I think it was when we needed it the most. We really needed a win here and a good bounce-back game, and that's what we had." Murray said of joining the Stanley Cup Playoffs in progress.
"We know either one of the goalies is going to give us a chance to win. Murray was awesome today. He made some huge saves to keep us in the game. You know what? He was just a wall out there." Maatta said.
"I think our desperation was a little bit higher. That's something last game (a 5-1 loss Wednesday) that we felt wasn't there. That was kind of a point of emphasis for us going into this game, a better start and a little more desperation in our game, and with that we got some good results." Crosby said.

Game 5 - Ottawa Senators @ Penguins 0-7 - Sunday, May 21, 2017

Throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Pittsburgh Penguins have searched for the same overwhelming speed they used to win the Stanley Cup last season.
They found it in Game 5. Four first-period goals helped the Penguins defeat the Ottawa Senators 7-0 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final at PPG Paints Arena. Matt Murray made 25 saves for the Penguins for his second shutout in 24 career Stanley Cup Playoff games. Olli Maatta scored his second goal in as many games to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead at 8:14 of the first before Sidney Crosby scored a power-play goal in a third straight game to extend it to 2-0 at 12:03. Bryan Rust, who returned after missing two games with an upper-body injury, scored with 3:56 left in the first for a 3-0 lead. The Senators pulled Craig Anderson after Rust's goal. Mike Condon made one save in 1:28 of relief before Anderson returned to the net following a media timeout with 2:29 remaining in the first. Senators coach Guy Boucher said he informed Anderson he had taken him out to stall without taking a timeout. Anderson allowed a goal to Scott Wilson who backhanded a rebound off his skate to make it 4-0 with 1:43 left in the first. Condon, who made 19 saves on 22 shots, took over again to start the second period. Anderson made 10 saves on 14 shots. Matt Cullen made it 5-0 at 1:54 of the second period, Phil Kessel pushed it to 6-0 with a power-play goal 50 seconds into the third period and Trevor Daley scored the third power-play goal of the game for Pittsburgh at 8:49 to make it 7-0. Crosby, who had a goal and an assist, passed Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Getzlaf (18 points) for second in playoff scoring with 19 points. Evgeni Malkin, who had three assists, leads with 23 points. Senators defensemen Erik Karlsson and Cody Ceci, and forward Derick Brassard each left. Boucher said they were taken out to rest and were healthy enough to return.

* Leading to Crosby's goal, Malkin kept the puck in the offensive zone by stickhandling around Viktor Stalberg several times just inside the blue line. Malkin passed to Daley, who took a slap shot that Crosby deflected under Anderson's blocker.

* Anderson temporarily kept the Penguins from taking a 2-0 lead when Carl Hagelin went on a shorthanded breakaway midway through the first period. Anderson denied Hagelin's wrist shot with a pad save at 9:31 of the first.

* Carter Rowney bumped Kyle Turris off the puck before he could carry it into the neutral zone. Rowney recovered the puck and shot on Anderson, which allowed Bonino to shoot the rebound off of Rust and in the net.

* Forward Josh Archibald had 11:50 of ice time and led the Penguins with six hits in his second career playoff game.

* The Senators dressed seven defensemen with Ben Harpur playing for the first time since May 4. … Penguins forward Conor Sheary was a healthy scratch with Rust back in the lineup. … Malkin played in his 141st playoff game, passing Jaromir Jagr (140) for the most in Penguins history. Crosby is tied with Jagr for second place after playing in his 140th playoff game on Sunday. … Crosby became the 22nd player in NHL history to reach 100 playoff assists when he set up Kessel's goal. ... The team that wins Game 5 to take a 3-2 lead in a best-of-7 series is 198-54 in League history, including 5-0 this season. ... The Penguins earned a margin of victory of at least seven goals in a playoff shutout for the fourth time in their history. Sunday was the third time in the past 10 postseasons that a team earned a shutout with a margin of victory of at least seven goals, and the second time this year. The San Jose Sharks defeated the Edmonton Oilers 7-0 in Game 4 of the Western Conference First Round.

"We did a really good job. The majority of that was because we had the puck the whole time, so we didn't really have to defend." Matt Murray
"Obviously, the team played extremely well tonight. Every line, we liked. It was a solid effort. … This was one of the more complete efforts, for sure. We've had a few of them. This is one of them. I thought our guys had a readiness about them tonight that we're going to need moving forward." Mike Sullivan said.
"I just think we capitalized on our chances. I don't think we did anything different. I feel like we had a good start. We gave ourselves a chance to score some of those goals." Crosby said.

Game 6 - Penguins @ Ottawa Senators 1-2 - Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Craig Anderson made 45 saves to help the Ottawa Senators avoid elimination with a 2-1 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final at Canadian Tire Centre. Anderson was pulled from a 7-0 loss in Game 5 on Sunday after allowing four goals on 14 shots. Mike Hoffman scored 1:34 into the third period to break a 1-1 tie. Evgeni Malkin scored and Matt Murray made 28 saves for the Penguins. After Malkin gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead at 4:51 of the second period, the Senators ended an 0-for-29 streak on the power play to tie the game during a 5-on-3 advantage. Ron Hainsey was called for interference at 11:45 and Ian Cole was penalized for high sticking Senators center Kyle Turris at 12:21. Bobby Ryan tied it 1-1 at 13:15 when he took a pass from Turris in the left circle and swept a shot past Murray on the stick side. It was Ottawa's first goal on Murray in 98:16 in the series. He won Games 4 and 5 after returning from an injury sustained before Game 1 of the first round. Trevor Daley swept the puck into the net for Pittsburgh at 3:04 of the second during a scramble in the crease. But the Senators challenged for goalie interference and the goal was overturned upon review.

* Hoffman took a pass from defenseman Fredrik Claesson on the left wing and scored with a slap shot that went in off the right post.
"I had a decent amount of time to corral it and pick my spot," Hoffman said. "I guess I was just waiting for the guys to create some room so I was able to shoot through a screen and beat [Murray] on the far side."

* Anderson moved to his left to stop a quick shot off the rush by Sidney Crosby at 7:36 of the second period.

* Malkin fought off Senators forward Zack Smith along the end boards and spun out for a shot on goal. The Penguins center got his rebound and slipped a backhand behind Anderson.

* The Senators were 3-for-3 on the penalty kill after allowing five power-play goals on 14 chances in the first five games of the series.

* The Penguins are 9-7 in Game 7, 3-7 at home. The Senators are 0-5 in Game 7, 0-4 on the road. ... Karlsson, who has 14 assists in 18 Stanley Cup Playoff games, is one shy of the Senators record for most in a postseason, set by forwards Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza in 20 games in 2007. ... Senators forward Colin White played 2:39 in his Stanley Cup Playoff debut.

"We played a good game. It happens sometimes in the playoffs. We've got to regroup but we did a lot of good things. We probably deserved better tonight." Sidney Crosby
"Obviously, we're disappointed in the result, but I don't think we can get discouraged by that. I think we've got to take the positives from it, and we've got to build on it, and we've got to become a more determined team for Game 7." Mike Sullivan

Game 7 - Ottawa Senators @ Penguins 2-3 2OT - Thursday, May 25, 2017

It had been a while since Chris Kunitz showed how valuable he's been throughout his time with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Kunitz did his part to send Pittsburgh back to the Stanley Cup Final. The left wing scored 5:09 into the second overtime to give the Penguins a 3-2 win against the Ottawa Senators in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final at PPG Paints Arena. The overtime goal was Kunitz's second of the game. He hadn't scored since Feb. 16, a span of 35 games. It was the 41st time, and seventh time in a conference final, a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs reached overtime. Home teams are 21-20 after Pittsburgh's win. Matt Murray made 27 saves for Pittsburgh. Craig Anderson made 39 for Ottawa.

Senators forward Ryan Dzingel tied it 2-2 with 5:19 left in the third period off a rebound. Pittsburgh took a 2-1 lead with 8:16 remaining. After Dion Phaneuf was called for interference on Phil Kessel, Justin Schultz shot past a screen by Kunitz and off the right post. Schultz returned Thursday after missing four games because of an upper-body injury. Kunitz gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead at 9:55 of the second period before Mark Stone tied it 1-1 20 seconds later. Kunitz passed to Conor Sheary, leading to a 2-on-1 facing Erik Karlsson. Sheary passed over Karlsson's stick to Kunitz, who shot inside the left post. Sheary was in the lineup after being a healthy scratch the past two games. In the second period, Sullivan moved Sheary from the fourth line to the first with Sidney Crosby and Kunitz. Karlsson set up the tying goal by passing to Stone and allowing him to put a shot over Murray to make it 1-1 at 10:15 of the second. The goal was Stone's first since he scored in the Games 5 and 6 of the second round against the New York Rangers.

* Crosby passed back to Kunitz, who one-timed a shot past Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Anderson.

* Kessel drove to the net and shot off Anderson with 3:32 remaining in the first overtime. The puck hit off Anderson and Kessel's hand before hitting the crossbar and bouncing across the top of the net.

* Karlsson shot off the left post, which caused Murray to look away from the rebound before Dzingel shot the puck as it fell to the ice. The goal was Dzingel's first since he scored in Game 1 of the second round.

* Scott Wilson played 23:06, which was fourth among Penguins forwards. He had five hits and three blocks.

* Ottawa is 0-6 in Game 7, including 0-5 on the road. ... Pittsburgh won a Game 7 at home for the first time after losing a Game 6. The Penguins were 0-7 entering Thursday. ... Pittsburgh can become the first repeat Stanley Cup champion since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997-98. ... Kunitz's last playoff goal came in Game 5 of the 2016 Eastern Conference Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

"It should be some exciting hockey as far as back-and-forth and fast and physical. I think both teams like to play a pretty similar style." Sidney Crosby on facing the Predators
"I don't think it really matters who scores. I think we're all just happy that the game is ended and we're on the top side of it and that we get to go play for another Stanley Cup. I think it's something that takes work from everybody on the ice to be able to score a goal." Kunitz said.

"This was a hard-fought series and we knew it was going to be a hard-fought series going in. [Ottawa] is a really good team. They're not here by accident. They're a really good team and they're hard to play against. I'm proud of our group for the resilience that they showed throughout the course of this series." Mike Sullivan said.

Whitley Bay Islanders Claim Trophy Success in Nottingham

The Whitley Bay Islanders recovered from an opening game defeat to skate off with yet more silverware, seeing off local rivals and Summer Cup opponents to lift the EIHA Masters Championships Trophy.

The annual tournament for players over the age of 35 was claimed with a Kevin Bucas overtime winner against Northeast rivals Cleveland Comets on Sunday, in a result which will give the Tynesiders a psychological boost before the two sides meet at Hillheads in a couple of weeks time for a Summer Cup fixture.

However the tournament didn’t get off to the best of starts for the Islanders who had to face a formidable opponent in the form of the Eastern Stars. The side who are based at Lee Valley in London have an array of talent from Eastern European countries such as Russia, Slovakia and Latvia and they duly skated off with a 2-0 win with the Islanders struggling to adapt to the non-checking version of the game.

Despite being ineligible to play as he is under the age of 35, Goaltender Calvin Khass, travelled to Nottingham with the team, and had a first hand look team of imports.

'I think the Stars were a team that were well suited to playing that style of hockey.' he said. 'Many of them have come from Roller Hockey backgrounds but the way they were passing the puck into space was very impressive and what you would expect from Eastern European players.'

But whilst nothing should be taken away from just how good the Eastern Stars were, it took the Islanders the whole of that opening encounter to adjust to the non-checking format.

'To be honest we were not aware of the rule before arriving in Nottingham.' Khass said. 'We usually compete in the Sheffield Rec Fest where hits are allowed so we assumed it would be the same for this tournament.'

'I think we were a bit over cautious too, as our normal style of play involves physical fore-checking and if we did that during the weekend we would run into penalty trouble.' he said.

'I think we didn't want to take any risks in that first game, but then we also had to quickly adapt to how we were going to approach the rest of the tournament.' he added.

Defenseman Kevin Bucas was clearly frustrated with some of the calls on him and felt he had played a new sport for the first time ‘Non-Contact Ice Hockey’ as he tweeted.

Putting that opening game disappointment behind them, the Islanders got back to winning ways in Game 2, beating one of their Summer Cup opponents, Grimsby Lightning, 3-1. Grimsby were clearly not used to playing on the large ice surface compared to their 'postage stamp' sized rink on Humberside and the Islanders used that to their advantage. However, the Tynesiders got the job done and defeated the Lightning for the third time since early April.

In their third and final game on Saturday, the Islanders took on the Solihull Vikings, another side they were familiar with from the Summer Cup. The Islanders twice went two goals ahead before Solihull pulled it back to a single goal game on both occasions. But at 3-2 the Islanders stepped up a gear and rattled in three unanswered goals to end the day with two wins.

Day 2 saw Whitley take on the host team Nottingham Outlaws, and both sides exchanged goals in the opening 4 minutes, before Whitley opened up a two goal lead soon after. A veteran play by Bucas at the back post made it 4-1, before two further strikes made it 6-1 in what was deemed a very hungover win.

The fifth and final game of the group stage was a local derby with the Durham Dragons in what is becoming an ever continuing rivalry. Still smarting from their Summer Plate defeat to the Wearsiders, the Islanders skated off with a 3-0 win to secure second place in the group and their place in the semi-finals. Despite missing out on a final four berth to their arch rivals, Dragons goalie Craig Davies, who like Khass also didn’t feature for his team this weekend, very sportingly tweeted a message to the Islanders after the game, ‘Good luck for the rest of the tournament gents. Try not to drink too much!!’ 

The Dragons have come close to picking up this trophy a couple of times in recent years and despite only carrying a small squad of 7 players, were looking to make a good run at it again.

They opened the tournament against Grimsby Lightning a team that beat the Dragons 7-6 back in April. However, the 'Magnificent Seven' secured a point when Ian Greenwood grabbed a brace after his side were down 2-0 early on. In Game 2 against the hosts Nottingham Outlaws, the Dragons claimed their first win of the weekend with Greenwood grabbing another double strike and Mark Foster getting the third. The final game of the day saw the Dragons lose 2-1 to the much vaunted Eastern Stars, the same side that shot down the Islanders in their opener.

Sunday, saw the Dragons make a much better start beating the Solihull Vikings [a side they have already smashed 14-2 earlier this season] 2-0 thanks to goals from Ian Greenwood (again) and Darren Webb. Ian Watson also earned his side a first shut out of the tournament.

After losing the North East derby to the Islanders, Durham ended the tournament by beating the Chairman's Select team in the playoff round. They needed penalty shots to do so, winning 2-1 after the game had ended 2-2 during regulation time.

Whilst Durham were disappointed not to make the Semi-finals, it was still a great performance to come away with two wins and a draw despite having only seven skaters. The Dragons were missing a few names from their original over 35’s roster. Captain Chris Hall is still out with a knee injury along with Left Wing Gareth Beddoes, while Dave Farren was unable to make the tournament after the dates were changed to earlier in the year. The small squad ultimately caught up with Durham in the end.

The third Whitley-based side at the tournament were the Newcastle Predators, and they got off to a great start, winning all three of their games on Saturday and rattling in 16 goals in the process. Blackpool Seagulls were dispatched 8-0 in their first game before Basingstoke Hyenas [3-1] and Charimans Select [5-0] were also defeated.

Sunday was always going to be a much trickier prospect. They lost 3-2 to Bradford Cannibals in a game which they really should have won. Most neutrals believed Newcastle could have won the game 5-0. That reverse ultimately cost the Tyneside-based side a place in the semi-finals when they lost 2-0 to a very strong Cleveland Comets side.

Newcastle ended their weekend losing 3-0 to Grimsby Lightning in the playoff round but once again a lot of positives could be taken from the weekend. They arrived at the tournament with only seven skaters and then were down to just six for the final game, but that didn’t stop them being a goal away from a semi-final berth or the fact they limited a strong Comets side to just two goals.

Canadian Goalie, Brent Hope can be equally pleased with his two shut outs between the pipes too, so all in all it was a good tournament for the team.

In the end finishing second in their group did the Islanders a massive favour as it meant they avoided playing the Cleveland Comets until the final and would instead face surprise group winners Bradford Cannibals. Whilst it wasn't a walk-over, Whitley won the Semi-final 2-0, meaning they would face another local rival in the Cleveland Comets.

The Teessiders look set to push the Islanders all the way in this year’s Summer Cup and have claimed the Nottingham Masters Championship a couple of times themselves in recent years so they know what it takes to loft the trophy.

That experience was evident when the Comets took a 1-0 lead five minutes into the game. Chances were always going to be scarce in what was a very tight encounter but a goal from Craig Thompson which was assisted by another former Warriors player, James Ramsay, levelled the scores and took the contest into an extra five minutes of overtime.

Kevin Bucas, who was left feeling frustrated after the first game of the weekend  ended the tournament much happier, when he won it in for the Islanders in OT.

The Tynesiders have certainly developed a habit for winning silverware over the past couple of years, and this latest success, having had to recover from an opening game reverse against quality opposition full of imports suggests they are warming up nicely for more honours come the end of August.

'This was a great trophy to win in what was a fun weekend.' said Calvin Khass. 'Obviously our attention now switches back to the Summer Cup and the hope is we can skate off with the treble. We have this one in the trophy cabinet but we still need to claim the League title and the Summer Cup playoffs.' he said.

While the Islanders were crowned EIHA Master Champs for 2017 the best forward award went to James Waller. A great honour for the former Whitley Warriors and Sunderland Chiefs Right Wing.

 

Newcastle Predators - Mid-Season Update

The Newcastle Predators have been busy with Northern Rec Cup action the past few weeks, and currently find themselves sitting in second place in the regular season standings.

With home games lined up four weeks in a row, the Predators used that to their advantage and reeled off three impressive victories, over last year’s champions Grimsby Ice Bears, the Runners Up Sheffield Ice Tigers and local rivals Newcastle Coyotes.

The game with the Coyotes was something of a miss-match with the Predators firing on all cylinders, while their opponents, making their debut in the competition this year, were missing several key players. But you can only beat what is put in front of you and the Predators, who were missing some key players of their own, made sure they took the bragging rights in the first Tyneside derby of the season.

Even the TV cameras were there to capture the action and thanks to Billingham Stars TV you can watch the full game on YouTube here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDi7DHsBHKA

The following week though, the Predators faced their toughest test of the season, and lost their only league game on home ice to the very impressive looking Don Valley Vikings. The home side gave it a good go though and despite being on the penalty kill for much of the opening 38 minutes, limited their rivals to very few clear cut goal scoring opportunities. Indeed, had it not been for a crazy couple of minutes just before the second intermission the Predators may even have been able to take something away from the game, but some unlucky bounces on at least three of the Vikings’ goals and further penalty trouble, conspired to take the game away from them. However, there were still plenty of positives to take from the game. Firstly, their penalty killing unit must now rank as being the best in the league, given the amount of practice they were able to have, while their comeback in the third period where they stopped the Vikings rampant offense and even pulled a goal back, and could have had others, was something to be proud of. The Predators can certainly be hopeful when they face the Vikings in the return game at iceSheffield next month of getting a positive result, given the way they played.

You can also watch the full game here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV2dwyuXteg&t=20s

Last weekend they got back to winning ways with a straight forward win over the Sheffield Ice Tigers, meaning that just after the halfway point in the regular season, only the unbeaten Don Valley Vikings are above them in the table.

Sheffield Ice Tigers game can be watched here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcRGSc-KTus 

Last weekend saw the Predators join their Tyneside-based neighbours Durham Dragons and Whitley Bay Islanders in taking part in the Nottingham Masters Tournament for over 35s. It was meant to provide some competitive action for the Predators before going back to Cup action against the Coyotes this coming weekend. However, we got the news the Coyotes are unable to fulfil that fixture and have now in fact pulled out of the competition altogether.

That leaves just four sides in the tournament now, with only two games left outstanding. Both involve the Predators with trips to the Steel City to take on the Don Valley Vikings and Sheffield Ice Tigers before the playoff finals weekend is due to take place in early September. With a scarcity of games in between those clashes, the club will be looking to fill out their fixture list with a few more games.

NHL - Playoffs - Round 2 - St Louis Blues vs Nashville Predators - Blues Lose Series 2-4

Game 1 - Nashville Predators @ Blues 4-3 - Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Vernon Fiddler took advantage of his opportunities. Playing his first game of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Nashville Predators center scored the tiebreaking goal off a fortuitous bounce with 5:05 left in the third period for a 4-3 win against the St. Louis Blues in Game 1 of the Western Conference Second Round at Scottrade Center. Jay Bouwmeester's failed clearing attempt went right to Watson, who sent a bouncing puck toward goalie Jake Allen. He tried to pokecheck it, missed, and Fiddler tapped it through Allen's legs. P.K. Subban had a goal and two assists, Colin Wilson and Filip Forsberg scored, and Pekka Rinne made 27 saves for the Predators, who have won five straight Stanley Cup Playoff games. Nashville left wing Kevin Fiala was taken off the ice on a stretcher 1:46 into the second period after his left leg hit the end boards when he was checked to the ice by St. Louis defenseman Robert Bortuzzo. The game was delayed 17 minutes by the injury and to wait for an ambulance to arrive and replace the one that took Fiala to the hospital. Nashville coach Peter Laviolette did not provide an update on the 20-year-old after the game. The Predators said earlier Fiala was alert and stable. Colton Parayko had a goal and assist, and Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Sobotka tied the game with third-period goals for St. Louis. Allen made 28 saves. Subban gave Nashville a 2-0 lead at 2:22 of the second period, 36 seconds after play resumed, and after Parayko made it 2-1 at 8:04, Forsberg scored a power-play goal for a 3-1 lead at 12:11. Schwartz made it 3-2 at 6:48 of the third period, and Sobotka tied it 3-3 at 9:22, but Fiddler put Nashville back in front 4-3. Wilson tipped in a power-play shot by Subban at 11:24 of the first period to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.

* Sobotka's tying goal was the result of good speed by Magnus Paajarvi, who drove the middle of the ice, forcing Predators defenseman Roman Josi to respect Paajarvi's move to the net. It left Sobotka a lane to take a wrist shot, which went in off the near post.

* Rinne had to be alert on Schwartz's tip-in attempt with 1:24 remaining in the third period. The shot was headed between his pads, but Rinne was able to prevent the Blues from tying the game.

* Subban's slap shot from the right point came after a pass from Ryan Johansen on the first shift after Fiala's injury.

* Predators center Mike Fisher won 12 of 15 faceoffs, had four shots on goal and three of Nashville's 34 hits playing 18:07.

* Subban had more points Wednesday (three) than he had in the four first-round games against the Chicago Blackhawks. ... Nashville swept Chicago allowing three goals in the four games. … Blues defenseman Joel Edmundson, who was plus-3, is plus-7 in his past two playoff games.

"Guys fought back great. A little mistake by me cost us. ... I did what I wanted to do." Allen said.
"I liked the pushback. I liked the fact we came out the way that we did. Certainly some things we can learn from that, but the reality is, the second period was not good enough. Ultimately it cost us the game." Mike Yeo said.
"That's hockey. It's an unfortunate incident [the injury to Predators forward Kevin Fiala]. You never want to see that. I hope he's OK." Jake Allen.

Game 2 - Nashville Predators @ Blues 2-3 - Friday, April 28, 2017

Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice, including the tiebreaking goal with 3:51 remaining in the third period, to give the St. Louis Blues a 3-2 win against the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of the Western Conference Second Round at Scottrade Center. Jori Lehtera scored for St. Louis to tie it 2-2 at 7:39 of the third. Blues goalie Jake Allen made 22 saves, 14 in the third period.

Ryan Ellis had a goal and an assist, James Neal scored, and Pekka Rinne made 17 saves for Nashville, which lost for the first time this postseason after five straight wins. Nashville took a 1-0 lead when Ellis' slap shot from the point double-deflected off Colton Sissons and Neal at 7:49 of the first period. It was the Predators' first shot on goal. St. Louis tied it 1-1 during a five-minute power play. Tarasenko's wrist shot beat Rinne, who was screened by Paul Stastny, with 20 seconds remaining in the period. Nashville center Vernon Fiddler was given the major penalty and a game misconduct for kneeing Blues defenseman Colton Parayko with 1:32 remaining. Ellis gave the Predators a 2-1 lead at 3:07 of the third period.

* Blues forward Jaden Schwartz started a rush up the left wing and found defenseman Joel Edmundson coming into the zone through the middle. Edmundson kicked the puck to Tarasenko, who shot past Rinne.
"It's a great play by [Schwartz] and then I probably scream for [Edmundson] to leave it to me and [Edmundson made] a good play," Tarasenko said.

* Allen's save on Neal with 38 seconds remaining preserved the victory. Neal one-timed a shot from the top of the left circle that was headed for the left corner but it hit Allen's right shoulder.

* Ellis made a good read when he saw teammate Cody McLeod checking Vladimir Sobotka. Sobotka tried a pass through the middle of the ice to Patrik Berglund, but Ellis read it, picked it off and stepped into a slap shot that beat Allen top shelf.

* Berglund won 11 of 15 faceoffs (73.3 percent), had an assist and was plus-1 in 16:21. He won two defensive-zone faceoffs with Nashville pressing for the tying goal playing 6-on-5.

* Predators forwards Calle Jarnkrok and Miikka Salomaki played, taking the place of Kevin Fiala (leg) and PA Parenteau (healthy scratch). ... Edmundson was plus-2 and is plus-9 the past three playoff games. ... Nashville won Game 1 4-3 on Wednesday after sweeping the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round.

"I saw him as soon as I came around the net. Then I went to play the puck and it bobbled off me. I don't know if he took a different route or I went a different way, it happens so fast. It's just one of those things. I'm assuming he wasn't trying to do it. It's hockey and the game's so fast [on being hit by Predators forward Vernon Fiddler]." Colton Parayko.
"Another one of my goals [is] a big goal for us. After [the] first game, we can't lose this one, so it's [a] tied series now and [we] play Nashville on [Sunday] and have time to reset and do our best." Tarasenko said.
"We knew it was going to be a long series. I don't think either team thought it was going to be a sweep, for one side or the other. That's going to be rare in these ages. We're still in for a long series, just have to get rest and go into a tough building." Allen said.
"When he has time, it's more setting my position, let him shoot it around me and he did that. Great shot." Stastny said.
"I was hoping [Schwartz] would put it right in my wheelhouse for a one-timer, but if you can get it to the goal-scorer, you might as well [on kicking the puck to Valdimir Tarasenko for the game-winning goal]." Joel Edmundson.

Game 3 - Blues @ Nashville Predators 1-3 - Sunday, April 30, 2017
The defense continues to drive the offense for the Nashville Predators.
Defensemen Ryan Ellis and Roman Josi each scored to help the Predators defeat the St. Louis Blues 3-1 in Game 3. Nashville's defensemen had four points (two goals, two assists) in the win that gave the Predators a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 series. At least one defenseman has been a part of 12 of the past 13 goals the Predators have scored in the Stanley Cup Playoffs dating to Game 4 of their first-round sweep of the Chicago Blackhawks. Subban had an assist on Ellis' goal at 10:34 of the first period that gave Nashville a 1-0 lead. Ellis took a pass at the point from forward Colton Sissons and got a shot past Jake Allen.

With his goal in Game 3, Ellis has points in six straight playoff games (three goals, five assists), a record for a Nashville defenseman. Forward Colin Wilson holds the Predators record with a point in seven straight playoff games. Josi made it 3-1 when he scored with a slap shot at 14:11 of the third period. Defenseman Mattias Ekholm had the secondary assist on a goal by Cody McLeod at 2:29 of the second period that gave Nashville a 2-0 lead. Pekka Rinne made 22 saves for the Predators. Allen made 31 saves and Alexander Steen scored for the Blues. Steen made it 2-1 at 12:59 of the second.

* McLeod was denied on his initial shot after taking a pass from Sissons. McLeod found the loose puck on the goal line to the left of Allen and flipped a bad-angle shot that banked off the goaltender and into the net.
* Nashville had an opportunity to take a 3-0 lead at 7:15 of the second period when Filip Forsberg slid a cross-crease pass to Ellis for a one-timer. Allen was able to get from post-to-post to deny Ellis.

* Nashville had a 2-1 lead with 7:00 left in the third period when it gained possession of the puck in the attacking zone. The Predators cycled the puck and maintained possession for more than 90 seconds before Josi scored.

"You are killing time, but you are looking to create offense there, too," Nashville defenseman Matt Irwin said. "We knew they were tired and we were able to roll a couple of lines out there fresh and when we got the look we were looking for [Josi] had a great shot."

* Predators center Calle Jarnkrok won 16-of-19 faceoffs (84.2 percent). Nashville won 39-of-63 faceoffs (62 percent).

* The Predators are 6-1 and have had 13 different players score in the postseason. … The Blues got their first shot on goal of the second period at 12:59.

"It's two tough teams. We knew it was going to be a tough series. Up until this point, I don't think it has disappointed. We've gone back and forth. I like, especially what we did the second half of this game. We battled back, clawed back in a game where we don't get the lead early. That's playoff hockey. I like our groove, our mentality and the way we keep going at it." Steen said.
"We scored one goal tonight. Fact of the matter is for a large part of the game we weren't even competitive. And so we obviously have to be way better. We have to make a couple changes, personnel-wise for the next game and look at the tape and see what we can do a little bit differently and a little bit better than tonight because it wasn't good enough." Mike Yeo.

Game 4 - Blues @ Nashville Predators 1-2 - Tuesday, May 02, 2017
Ryan Ellis and James Neal scored in the third period to give the Nashville Predators a 2-1 win against the St. Louis Blues in Game 4. Ellis scored on the power play to put the Predators ahead 1-0 at 5:09. Filip Forsberg shot, and Ellis got to the puck after it bounced around in the slot and put it past goalie Jake Allen for his fourth goal. Ellis, a defenseman, has a seven-game point streak, including a goal in three straight. Neal scored unassisted to give the Predators a 2-0 lead at 13:03 on a wrist shot from above the right faceoff circle. He fought through two Blues defensemen and shot through traffic for his second goal.

Ellis made a save on the goal line on a Blues power play late in the second period as the puck was moving toward the goal line. He has had a knack for making those types of plays for the Predators over the past two seasons.
Defenseman Joel Edmundson scored to make it 2-1 at 16:11 on a slap shot from the left circle. His shot went through traffic in front and past Rinne for his third goal. Rinne made 32 saves, and Allen had 23.

* Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo dove for a loose puck in the left circle, but Ellis beat him to it and shot low past Allen's head inside the left post to get the Predators on the board.

* Allen made a toe save on a lunging backhand attempt by Neal at 1:32 of the third period to keep the game 0-0.

* Predators forward Calle Jarnkrok beat Blues defenseman Colton Parayko down the ice to a 50-50 puck in the final minute of the third period with Allen pulled for an extra attacker, keeping it in the St. Louis zone and burning time off the clock.

* Neal broke up an attempted pass from David Perron to Carl Gunnarsson high in the Blues zone, then spun and shot behind Gunnarsson and over Allen's blocker from the top of the right circle.
* Blues forward Alexander Steen was in a walking boot following the game. He blocked a Roman Josi shot with his left foot at 10:04 of the first period. … Predators forward Craig Smith missed his fifth straight game with an undisclosed injury. He participated in the morning skate after practicing Monday. ... Ellis' seven-game postseason point streak is the longest in the NHL by a defenseman since Chris Pronger of the Blues and Jason Woolley of the Buffalo Sabres each had a goal and eight assists during a seven-game streak in the 1998 playoffs, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

"Got to find a way to put the puck in the back of the net. [Predators goalie Pekka Rinne is] making good saves, he's playing well. Both goalies are playing really well. We've just got to find a way to get a couple behind him. The power play's got to be better." Alex Pietrangelo
"For the most part, I thought we had a pretty good game. We got more shots. I think we've got to get in Rinne's face a little bit more, more bodies to the net. It wasn't a bad game by us. I thought we had some pretty good pushes. Obviously, we've got to bear down on a lot more of our chances, but we take a lot of positives out of this and we go back home and get to work." Ryan Reaves said.

Game 5 - Nashville Predators @ Blues 1-2 - Friday, May 05, 2017
Dmitrij Jaskin scored in his first game of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs, helping the St. Louis Blues earn a chance to play at least one more. The Blues extended the Western Conference Second Round with a 2-1 win against the Nashville Predators in Game 5. St. Louis trails the best-of-7 series 3-2 with Game 6 at Nashville on Sunday. The loss kept the Predators from advancing to a conference final for the first time. Jaskin was in the lineup in place of forward Alexander Steen, who participated in warmups but was scratched.

He gave the Blues a 1-0 lead at 5:43 of the second period, getting to the rebound of an Alex Pietrangelo shot from the point below the left faceoff circle and beating Pekka Rinne. It was Jaskin's first goal since Dec. 3, which was his only regular-season goal in 51 games. Jaden Schwartz gave the Blues a 2-1 lead 25 seconds into the third period on another rebound. Colton Parayko shot from the point, and Schwartz scored his fourth goal. James Neal scored for the Predators at 13:50 of the second period on a 5-on-3 power play to tie the game 1-1. P.K. Subban passed to Neal below the right faceoff circle, and he beat Allen on a wrist shot for his third goal. Allen made 21 saves for St. Louis, which is 3-2 at home this postseason. Rinne made 30 saves for Nashville, which is 7-2 in the playoffs.

* Schwartz's goal came after the puck was redirected off Parayko's shot from the point. Schwartz crashed the net and beat Rinne on the blocker side.

* Allen stopped Filip Forsberg on a partial breakaway in the third period to prevent a tying goal. Forsberg tried to beat Allen with a wrist shot on the blocker side, but Allen directed the puck to the corner.

* The Blues killed a penalty in the second period after the Predators killed a 5-on-3 power play and 2:04 of a 5-on-4, keeping Nashville from gaining momentum from those kills.

* Jaskin's goal was the first time in the series the Blues scored first. Rinne tried to get across the crease and make a right-pad save, but Jaskin shot past him.
* Jaskin had eight shots on goal, four hits and two blocked shots playing 15:46. … Ellis' seven-game point streak ended (four goals, five assists).

"It's unbelievable. What we had to do tonight, we did, and everybody's happy. We can enjoy it now for a few minutes and then forget it and get another one." Jaskin said.

"He was really good all game from the start and got rewarded with a goal and a couple other chances. Brought some really good energy that we needed. You're happy for a guy like that who gets a chance to come in and has an impact."

"I'm always proud of this group. The effort is always there. Sometimes we don't execute the way we want, but tonight was resilient. Not an ideal 5-on-3 situation, but we found a way to bounce back. We know it might take us 60 minutes or more to get that win, but we stuck with it and [goalie Jake Allen] was great again." Pietrangelo said.

"I thought we just stuck to our game plan. We didn't get rattled, especially when they got that 5-on-3 there and they scored. We just kept with it and it paid off."
"We had a must-win. We've played well in spurts this series, but I don't think we've played consistently great and I think tonight was a step. We're still backs against the wall [in Game 6]. We've got to come out even harder, even better in a really, really tough building and see where it goes." Allen said.

Game 6 - Blues @ Nashville Predators 1-3 - Sunday, May 07, 2017

The Nashville Predators advanced to the Western Conference Final for the first time in history with a 3-1 win against the St. Louis Blues in Game 6 of the Western Conference Second Round at Bridgestone Arena. The Predators won the best-of-7 series 4-2. Nashville improved to 8-2 in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs and 4-0 all-time at home with an opportunity to close out a series. The Predators will play the Anaheim Ducks or Edmonton Oilers in the conference final. Josi, Ryan Johansen and Calle Jarnkrok scored for the Predators.

Johansen gave Nashville a 2-1 lead at 3:15 of the third period on a forehand-to-backhand move. Viktor Arvidsson made a lead pass to Johansen breaking into the zone, and Johansen deked around St. Louis goalie Jake Allen for his second goal. Paul Stastny gave the Blues a 1-0 lead at 2:04 of the first period on a rebound. Vladimir Tarasenko took a shot from the right faceoff circle and Stastny shot the rebound past Pekka Rinne for his second goal of the playoffs.
Josi scored for the Predators to tie the game at 1-1 35 seconds into second period on a one-timer. Mattias Ekholm cut to the left faceoff circle and made a cross-ice pass that Josi shot past Allen for his fourth goal. Jarnkrok scored an empty-net goal to make it 3-1 with 1:00 remaining and Rinne made 23 saves.

* Josi's goal came after the Predators had been outshot 9-5 and trailed after first period. The quick response to start the second period set the tempo for the rest of the game.

* Allen made a glove save on a breakaway attempt by Filip Forsberg to keep the game 2-1 at 6:29 of the third period.

* Subban blocked a shot by David Perron on a Blues power play midway through the second period to keep the game 1-1 and help Nashville kill of the penalty.

* Johansen beat Blues defenseman Colton Parayko to the middle of the ice in the offensive zone to receive the pass from Arvidsson and score the game-winning goal.
* It was the first time in the series that the team scoring first lost. ... Patrik Berglund won 12 of 17 faceoffs. .. Tarasenko finished the series with two goals and one assist. … The Predators have won nine consecutive home playoff games. Nashville has allowed six goals in five games at Bridgestone Arena in the 2017 playoffs. ... Arvidsson's assist was his first point of the series. ... Craig Smith returned to the lineup for the Predators for the first time in the series. He missed six games with a lower-body injury.

"We didn't find a way to win on the road. We had to since we lost one of those games at home. It doesn't matter if it was home or on the road, it was tough games, hard-fought battles. Unfortunately today we came out on the wrong side of it." Alexander Steen.
"It doesn't take anything away from how I feel about this group. I feel proud to represent this group. We fell short, but the fight was always there. I mean, we fought until the end. Sure, we could have played better in the first couple of games but never have I not been proud of this group." Alex Pietrangelo said.