Okay, maybe the whole “life is fleeting” thing is a bit dramatic, and maybe that’s just my emotions getting the better of me. It doesn’t just happen to athletes who end up in the penalty box for stupid reasons. It happens to us bloggers (*ahem* journalists) all the same. But, if you happened to watch last night’s Preds-Jets Game 7 through blue and yellow (*ahem* “Preds gold”) tinted glasses, you can’t help but feel a little melancholy this morning.
What was supposed to be a dream season for the Preds ended in bizarre fashion. I can’t remember a series as odd as this one. I never would have guessed that the best goaltender in hockey would give up two soft-as-baby-shit goals in the first period, get pulled, and leave the Preds scrambling in a critical Game 7.
And, for what it’s worth, this is a case where multiple things can be true and are true. Yeah, I think it’s fair to blame Pekka Rinne for putting his team in a terrible position. But, I also think it’s fair to criticize the lack of desperation and response from his teammates afterwards. To quote our Lead Preds Analyst, Herbie Brooks, the Preds “honestly haven’t been the same team since clinching a playoff spot.”
But, if you would have told me that Patrik Laine would score one goal and the Preds would win twice in Winnipeg before this series started, I would’ve laughed and said, “so the Preds win in five?!?!”
But, we all know that’s not how things panned out. So, now I sit here, the morning after, trying to collect my thoughts, feeling as though I’m hungover and in need of a 40-hour nap. I keep harking back to two major takeaways from this series and last night’s game.
All that matters is getting in
It’s something the Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings, and (gross) Chicago Blackhawks have practiced well over the last several years. In case you’ve missed it, those are the only three teams that have won the Stanley Cup the last six seasons. With the exception of the 2012-13 Blackhawks, none of those teams won the Presidents’ Trophy.
There’s something to say for peaking too soon, and I think that’s where things ultimately went wrong for the Preds. At a certain point, later in the season, they looked invincible. Down the stretch, they sure made things interesting in the race for the #1 seed in the West and ultimately the Presidents’ Trophy. It took them a little longer to clinch than it should have, and they allowed the Jets to hang around.
But, the emphasis on home ice advantage that the team talked about ALL SEASON LONG. All of that work to get home ice throughout the playoffs, and for what? It didn’t matter. The home teams were 2-5 in this series. Two of the best environments in the NHL….and the home team won just twice in a seven game series.
It didn’t matter what building they played in. Home ice only gets you so far – you still have to play good, inspired hockey to win a Stanley Cup, and that version of the Preds…the version that pushed themselves to a Game 6 in the Stanley Cup Final last Spring….never showed up.
Life is fleeting
Yeah, we’re back here again. But, I think there’s something worth mentioning. Just a season ago, Nashville was the belle of the NHL. All of the analysts were excited about coming to the Music City. People couldn’t stop talking about how electric the environment was and how rowdy of a scene it was.
All of that has flamed out. It was a fun time to be a Nashvillian, and to cover the Preds. Even then, I had a strange sense of appreciation for it. Just soaking it all in – and now, that seems like it was so long ago. We’re not going to get any of that fanfare this year.
I felt like this team was built to win this year, too. They loaded up on talent through free agency and trades that indicated that they believed this was the year.
So, to see it all fizzle out this way is a sobering reminder that those sorts of opportunities aren’t guaranteed and it takes a lot of work to get back there. Let’s just hope the Spring of 2017 wasn’t a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience for our city.
On to next season
It’s time to reset. Herbie Brooks can go and take a vacation now, we can rest up a little bit, and maybe find some solace in the fact that late nights spent staring at the television won’t be an issue any longer.
But, this has still been an historic season for the Preds. Presidents’ Trophy, first #1 seed, first Central Division title, etc. etc.
And, there’s still the NHL Awards ceremony to come on June 20th. Rinne is nominated for the Vezina Trophy (Best Goaltender). P.K. Subban is nominated for the Norris Trophy (Best Defenseman), and the King Clancy Memorial Trophy (Humanitarian efforts). So, there’s still a chance that this season can end with some more hardware.
Overall, the championship window is still wide open for this Preds team. But, I don’t know if they’ll get a better shot than they had this year.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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