The Colorado Avalanche have been anything but pushovers this NHL postseason, and yet their Western Conference first-round matchup heads back to Nashville with the Predators leading the best-of-seven series 3-1.
That locale is not a good place for a team in Colorado’s position to be.
Pittsburgh Penguins’ Matthew Murray has some water during a break in the second period in Game 4 of the team’s NHL first-round hockey playoff series against the Philadelphia Flyers, Wednesday, April 18, 2018, in Philadelphia. The Penguins won 5-0. (AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)The Predators are 11-2 in Smashville since the start of the 2017 playoffs – a run they started by finishing off a sweep of the top-seeded Chicago Blackhawks in the first round a year ago – and they can assure themselves of a weekend of rest if they avoid a return trip to Colorado by winning Game 5 tonight at Bridgestone Arena.
In their surge to the Stanley Cup Final last year, the Predators clinched all three of their series victories at home. This year they’re the top seed and hold home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs, so they want to make the most of it.
“It’s huge that we have a chance to finish the series at home,” Predators goalie Pekka Rinne said after Wednesday night’s 3-2 victory in Denver. “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.”