NHL playoffs 2018: Rinne blanks Jets, top line delivers as Predators force Game 7

John Arlia

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NHL playoffs 2018: Rinne blanks Jets, top line delivers as Predators force Game 7 image

The top two teams in the NHL during the regular season will require seven games to settle their second-round playoff series.

Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson each scored a pair of goals and Pekka Rinne made 34 saves, leading the Predators to a 4-0 win over the Jets to stave off elimination Monday night in Game 6.

Winnipeg fans crowded Bell MTS Place and the surrounding area with hopes of celebrating the team’s first ever trip to the Western Conference finals, but the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Predators and their stellar top line had other ideas.

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Arvidsson quieted the home crowd just 62 seconds into the contest, deflecting a Roman Josi point shot past Connor Hellebuyck to give Nashville an early lead. The referees originally waved off Arvidsson’s effort, ruling that he had scored with a high-stick, but video review determined that the Predators forward kept his stick below the crossbar.

Winnipeg had plenty of chances to tie the game before the first period expired, but couldn’t convert on three early power plays. Nashville’s penalty killing unit was aggressive all night long, keeping Winnipeg’s attack on the perimeter and negating all four of the Jets’ man-advantage opportunities.

Forsberg doubled Nashville’s lead in the second period, grabbing a new stick from the bench and immediately putting it to good use as he held off Jets defenseman Ben Chariot and fired the puck past Hellebuyck. The Predators forward saved his best for the third period, scoring a highlight-reel goal to give the Predators some breathing room. Forsberg corralled a loose puck in front of the Jets net and with his stick between his legs, he beat Hellebuyck on his blocker side for his second of the night to make it 3-0.

Winnipeg outshot Nashville 34-28, but couldn’t solve Rinne, who was tremendous once again coming off of a loss. Rinne rebounded after giving up six goals on 26 shots in Game 5 before being pulled in favor of Juuse Saros. 

Arvidsson added an empty-net goal with over four minutes remaining in regulation to seal the victory, as the Predators backed up P.K. Subban's guarantee that the series would return to Nashville.

The winner of Game 7 on Thursday (time TBD) will meet the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference finals.

Here's how it all went down as Sporting News provided live updates of Nashville's 4-0 win in Game 6:

Game 6: Predators 4, Jets 0

All times Eastern

Third Period

12:18 -  That's it! As P.K. Subban guaranteed, the Predators stave off elimination and force a Game 7 on Thursday in Nashville. Final score:  4-0 Nashville, series tied 3-3.

12:17 -  The Jets manage to kill of the penalty, but this game is all but over.

12:14 -  Byfuglien goes to the box for stepping in after the Arvidsson/Laine incident. Nashville gets its first power play of the night as the Jets defender sits for roughing.

12:12 - Goal Nashville!  Paul Maurice pulls Hellebuyck with over four minutes to play and Viktor Arvidsson skates the puck past the Jets defense all the way into the empty cage for his second of the night. Laine, in frustration, shoots the puck in Arvidsson's general direction.  4-0 Nashville, 4:02 to play in the third period.

12:08 -  Forsberg circumvents Hellebuyck's net and goes for the hat trick with a wrap-around, but the Jets' goaltender gets a pad on it.

12:04 -  Watson plays a nifty pass in the neutral zone to spring Bonino, who is shut down by Hellebuyck on two close-range chances.

11:58 -  The Jets go down the other end and put the pressure on, resulting in a Scheifele that gets defelected on its way into the glove of Rinne.

11:55 -  Big save Hellebuyck! The Jets netminder keeps this game within reach with 10 minutes to play, denying Arvidsson in close after the Predators entered the zone on an odd-man rush. 

11:49 - Goal Nashville!  Filip Forsberg, are you kidding me? The Predators forward gets his second goal of the night in style. Forsberg corrals a loose puck and with his stick between his legs, fires a shot past Hellebuyck to give Nashville some more breathing room. 3-0 Nashville, 14:05 to play in the third period.

11:46 -  The Jets finally work their set play to Scheifele in the slot, but he fires his shot wide and the Predators clear to kill off Subban's penalty.

11:44 -  Winnipeg will get its fourth power play of the evening as Subban trips up Wheeler after getting beat by the Jets winger.

11:41 -  Still no sign of Mike Fisher for the Predators. He's been missing since the middle of the second. Nashville down their fourth-line center.

11:39 p.m. -  The puck is dropped for the start of the third period. The Jets have 20 minutes to find two goals or face a Game 7 in Nashville. 

Second Period

11:21 - That's the end of the second period. The Jets are outshooting the Predators 19-17, but Nashville leads on goals from Arvidsson and Forsberg. 2-0 Nashville, End of the second period.  

11:20 -  Big hit by Hartnell, who sends Kyle Connor flying into the corner boards. The Predators forward has some words with Wheeler, who seems to want to stand up for his teammate. No fisticuffs here though.

11:16 -  Good pressure from Winnipeg! Scheifele steps by a defender and skates in with Wheeler on a 2-on-1. Scheifele fakes the pass and fires on goal, but Rinne gets enough of it to push it to the corner.  

11:14 -  Lowry finds a loose puck in front of the Nashville net, but Rinne is alert to shut down the opportunity with his right pad. 

11:11 - The Predators are starting to stay back a little more with their two-goal lead and the Jets are playing into their hands by trying to do a little too much while navigating the neutral zone. Tyler Myers tries to stickhandle through three Preds and turns the puck over.

11:06 -  Ekholm leaves a drop pass for Forsberg, who fires a wrister from the left circle on goal, but Hellebuyck manages to make the save and control the rebound under some pressure.

11:03 -  The Predators have now scored the first two goals in all three games this series at Bell MTS Place. That hasn't always worked out for them though...

10:58 -  Goal Nashville!  Filip Forsberg takes the puck off Chariot and holds off the Jets defenseman while sliding a shot past Hellebuyck. 2-0 Nashville, 11:44 to play in the second period.

10:52 -  Two chances for Stastny! The Jets forward drags a shot wide of Rinne's net, but gets the rebound off the boards and flips the puck through the Rinne's crease and out the other side. Lucky for Nashville that Rinne didn't knock that into his own net as he slid back across to try to make the save.

10:49 -  Stat: Winnipeg has dominated the middle period so far this series, outscoring Nashville 10-5 in the second over the first five games.

10:44 p.m. -  The puck is dropped for the start of the second period. Nashville up 1-0. 

First Period

10:26 -  That's the end of the first period. Shots are even at 10 apiece after 20 minutes of play. The Predators lead thanks to some strong penalty killing and Arvidsson's early tally. 1-0 Nashville, End of the first period.

10:25 -  The Predators make it 3-3 on the penalty kill. 

10:22 -  Nashville kills off the power play, but will have to do it again almost immediately as Weber gets his stick caught in the skates of Andrew Copp. Jets to the power play for the third time this period.

10:19 -  Preds keeping everything to the outside, but Byfuglien blasts a shot off Bonino and then Rinne comes out to the top of his crease to deny Laine.

10:16 -  Bryan Little forces a save out of Rinne from close in, but Winnipeg will head back to the man-advantage after Watson is called for a hook. 

10:10 -  During a stoppage of play, the jumbotron pans over to fan favorite Teemu Selanne and the Winnipeg crowd goes wild.

10:06 -  Strong kill by the Predators. Nashville paid a lot of attention to Scheifele in the slot, for good reason given his success this postseason (9 goals, 5 assists).

10:02 -  First power play of the night goes to Winnipeg as Ekholm gets two minutes for delay of game. The Jets have converted on the man-advantage seven times so far this postseason.

9:57 -  Big save by Hellebuyck! Arvidsson and Johansen skate in on a 2-on-1. Arvidsson gets a pass across, but Hellebuyck gets his left shoulder on Johansen's rising shot.

9:55 -  Assists on the goal go to Roman Josi and Ryan Johansen. That's Josi's first point of the series. 

9:50 -  Goal Nashville!  The ruling on the ice is overturned as Arvidsson was ducking down and his stick was over his own head, but not the crossbar. 1-0 Nashville, 18:58 to play in the first period .

9:48 -  Viktor Arvidsson redirects a Roman Josi point shot past Connor Hellebuyck, but the referee immediately waves it off for a high stick. The play is under review...

9:45 p.m. -  The puck is dropped and away we go in Game 6!

Pregame

9:15 p.m. - The teams are on the ice for warmups.

Here are the projected lineups for both teams:

John Arlia