The Nashville Predators became Western Conference champions Monday night at Bridgestone Arena, defeating the Anaheim Ducks in Game 6 of the series. The final score was 6-3, with Preds Centerman Colton Scissons recording a hat trick in the game that will lead Nashville to their first Stanley Cup Final in franchise history.
Despite the fact Anaheim lead the Preds for shots on goal throughout the entire game, the Predators looked good from the start with Austin Watson being the first to score for Nashville, just 1:21 into the game. Scissons put his first point on the board less than ten minutes into the first giving Nashville a 2-0 lead at the end of the period.
Early in the second period the Ducks made a goal which would be the only score from either team that entire period. However, six goals were made in the third period. Three minutes into it Scissions recorded his second goal of the game. Just two minutes later Anaheim retaliated with another goal and with just 11 minutes left the Ducks hit another one in to time the game 3-3.
With six minutes left Scissons scored his final goal of the game and recorded a hat trick, something the fans didn’t realize until a few minutes later when it was announced because of an earlier goal that had been misattributed. Nonetheless, scores of hats started to rain down upon the ice after the announcement, with the Predators once again leading the game. Filip Forsberg and Austin Watson both added empty net goals in the final minutes of the game to give the Predators their 6-3 final score.
Many teammates gave goalie Pekka Rinne the credit for achieving this win. In a press conference after the game he commented on the pressure he faced, “They were coming hard. We were fighting it for a bit. I mean, it was a gutsy effort. And we blocked a ton of shots. We had to play defense. We did that well,” he said.
He continued, “They had some good looks, but we didn't give them odd-man rushes. We didn't give them break-aways. We didn't give them a lot of areas from the prime time -- you know, areas -- and kept them mostly outside. But obviously that was a big one. Anytime you need to close a series out, you know that, as a goalie, you've got to be good. And as a team you've got to be good. And we let them back in the game in the third. That was disappointing at the time. But thank God we have Sissy,” he said referring to Colton Scissions.
The first game of the Stanley Cup final will take place Monday at the home arena of the winner of the Eastern Conference, which will be either Ottawa or Pittsburgh. The Nashville fans will be able to welcome back their Western Conference winners at Bridgestone Arena for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday, June 3.