The defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins have a chance to wrap up their first-round series with the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday. The team the Penguins edged in six taut games during the 2017 Cup finals have their own shot to move on Friday.
The Nashville Predators clinched all three of their playoff series a year ago at home a year ago in reaching their first Stanley Cup Final and have a chance to close out Colorado in Game 5 at 7:30 p.m.
The Predators are 11-2 in Smashville since the start of the 2017 playoffs, a run that started by finishing off a sweep of Chicago in the first round a year ago. They can assure themselves of a weekend of rest if they avoid a return trip to Colorado.
“It’s huge that we have a chance to finish the series at home,” Predators goalie Pekka Rinne said. “Obviously, that’s something that is in the back of your head. We want to take it so bad and have this opportunity. But it’s a good team so we have to play again like this and I think that will be.”
The Predators tried to make sure they’re well-rested by flying back to Tennessee on Thursday, and they will have a chance to advance against Colorado’s backup to the backup goalie. Avs coach Jared Bednar announced that Andrew Hammond will start Game 5 with Jonathan Bernier is out with a lower-body injury. Hammond stepped in and stopped all eight shots he faced in relief of Bernier in Nashville’s 3-2 win on Wednesday night.
“He didn’t have a whole bunch of work, but he was good,” Bednar said. “He made the saves he needed to make. It was good to see. Hopefully it gives him a little confidence.”
The NHL has suspended Predators forward Ryan Hartman for Game 5 for an illegal check to the head of Carl Soderberg in Game 4.
Hartman was penalized for charging Soderberg at 4:52 of the third period. Soderberg was skating across the blue line and had just passed the puck to a teammate when Hartman hit him in the head.
The NHL noted Hartman took a poor angle and picked Soderberg’s head for the main point of contact and then delivering a hit “with substantial force.”
Hartman has been fined once in his 162-game NHL career.
