PREDATORS CLINCH FIRST-EVER BERTH IN STANLEY CUP FINAL
The Ducks erased a 3-1 deficit in the third period, but Colton Sissons scored the go-ahead goal and completed his hat trick with 6:00 remaining in regulation to lift the Predators to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in franchise history. Nashville, which began play in 1998-99 and is competing in the postseason for the 10th time, had recorded three series wins prior to the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs (3-9).
* The Predators, who ranked 16th in NHL’s regular-season standings and qualified for the postseason as the second Wild Card team in the Western Conference (41-29-12, 94 points), became the third club seeded lowest in its conference to advance to the Stanley Cup Final since the League adopted the conference-based playoff format in 1994. The others: the 2006 Oilers (4-3 L vs. CAR) and 2012 Kings (4-2 W vs. NJD).
* At least one team outside the top 10 in the NHL’s regular-season standings now has reached the Stanley Cup Final in eight of the past 15 seasons. The others: the 2002 Hurricanes (16th), 2004 Flames (12th), 2006 Oilers (14th), 2010 Flyers (18th), 2012 Kings (13th), 2014 Rangers (12th) and 2016 Sharks (11th).
* Sissons, who has one hat trick in his regular-season career (109 GP), recorded the second three-goal game in Predators playoff history – following Filip Forsberg’s hat trick in Game 5 of the 2015 First Round vs. CHI. Elias notes that Sissons became the first player to score a hat trick in a series-clinching win in the Conference Finals since Chicago’s Patrick Kane in 2013 (vs. LAK).
* Sissons, who had 8-2—10 in the regular season (58 GP), now has matched that point total during the playoffs (5-5—10 in 16 GP). He did not register a point in any of his 10 career postseason appearances prior to 2017.
* The Predators next will face the winner of the Eastern Conference Final between the Penguins and Senators. Only one player on Nashville’s roster has previously appeared in a Stanley Cup Final game: Mike Fisher, who collected 2-2—4 with Ottawa in 2007 vs. ANA (5 GP).
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