from Joe Rexrode of The Tennessean,

“SWEEP! SWEEP! SWEEP!” the Predators fans chanted in the final stages of a 4-1 win in Game 4 Thursday at Bridgestone Arena. And that’s what they got, thanks to that Sissons goal, two from Roman Josi, an Arvidsson empty netter for emphasis and yet another masterpiece from goaltender Pekka Rinne – and despite an appropriately desperate performance from the Stanley Cup favorite Blackhawks.

“It’s a great feeling, 2010 and 2015 we lost to these guys in the first round; we had a chance to kind of redeem ourselves, a little payback,” Rinne said of the Blackhawks. “But it’s a great feeling, and I think organization-wise too, it goes pretty high up there.”

Now it’s on the Predators to capitalize on this achievement, their No. 1 to date, and knock it down the list before the spring ends. It’s on these players to shake more hands of people who are gritting their teeth in disappointment while the Predators say nice things and temporarily contain their exuberance.

“We’ve been in this situation, and in my career too I’ve been in this situation (three times) now,” Rinne said of first-round wins in 2011, 2012 and 2016. “It really is nothing. It’s a great feeling and it’s really hard to get to the second round, but at the same time, you’ve got to keep your foot on the gas. Stay focused, stay hungry. We haven’t done anything yet.”

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Below, watch Peter Laviolette post-game...