The Nashville Predators have grown used to Filip Forsberg pulling off the improbable. However, Thursday night in the Nashville’s 5-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche at Bridgestone Arena, Forsberg showed he still has a few tricks up his sleeve.
A little over halfway through the third period, Forsberg skated into the Colorado zone, passed the puck between his legs, skated around Avalanche defenseman Sam Girard, cut back across the ice and sniped one glove side past an unsuspecting Jonathan Bernier. He also may have broke Twitter in the process.
SHUT THE FRONT DOOR.#StandWithUs | #COLsNSH pic.twitter.com/5coBIahFwO
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) April 13, 2018
“It was amazing,” forward Austin Watson said. “Our jaws kind of dropped. He thinks of doing things out there that wouldn’t even happen in my dream.”
“He does stuff like that all the time and you just kind of get used to it. But there’s a difference between doing it in practice and just messing around with the puck and doing it in a playoff game.”
“I think that was just one of those that comes up when you skate (toward the goal),” Forsberg added. “I didn’t realize that it was (Sam Girard) until after I saw the replay.”
The goal breathed life back into Bridgestone Arena and revitalized a crowd that had become relatively quiet since Forsberg’s last goal six minutes earlier. The fans weren’t the only ones in awe of what they just witnessed.
“I mean, he just does unbelievable things all the time it seems,” center Colton Sissons said. “But to do it on this stage, in an intense playoff game, is pretty unbelievable.”
“It was outstanding,” forward Craig Smith added. “It’s a good goal, really nice. He’s fun to watch. He’s a guy that’s talented and can make those plays. It’s not unusual when he does. It’s great.”
“What I really liked about it was it was a power move,” Predators coach Peter Laviolette added. “It wasn’t just a standing, skill move. He really picked up speed and did his best to drive. I always feel like he’s at his best when he’s a power forward first and then brings the skill element into it. That’s what he did tonight.”
It was Forsberg’s second goal of the game and gave the Preds a 4-2 lead. Forsberg has really come on strong in the Preds last 12 games. During that span, he has scored 10 goals- including four multi-goal games and a hat trick in the regular-season finale against Columbus.
“I see that kind of stuff in practice all the time,” goalie Pekka Rinne said. “I am just pulling pucks out of my net. (It was a) beautiful goal. You think about the first game in the playoffs and he’s able to pull those moves off and finish the play. It was a great individual effort and obviously, to me, that was the goal that sealed the deal tonight.”
The win gives the Predators a 1-0 series lead against Colorado with Game 2 on Saturday at Bridgestone Arena. Despite the two-goal performance, Forsberg said he hasn’t lost sight of what the team goal has been since the beginning of the season, really since June 11 of last year.
“We’re all here to play for the Cup,” Forsberg said. “All 16 teams that are in the playoffs want the Cup. Obviously, it’s going to be really tough and Colorado has been playing good all year.”
