Playoff berth clinched.

Colton Sissons and Filip Forsberg each scored twice and the Nashville Predators rallied on the road for the sixth consecutive time on Friday night in Denver, prevailing 4-2 over the Avalanche.

As a result, the Predators have punched their ticket to the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the fourth consecutive season Nashville will appear in the postseason.

“It feels good,” Sissons said of the berth. “That’s what every team suits up for in training camp is to get to the postseason. As we found out last year, as long as you get in, you just never know what can happen. We’re pumped about it, and to be the first… it’s pretty special.”

In addition to a postseason berth, the Predators continue to rewrite their own record books. Nashville now has a point in 14 consecutive games (13-0-1) which ties the mark for the longest overall point streak in club history. Plus, Friday’s win gave the Predators points in 14 consecutive road games to set a franchise record in the category.

Sissons connected on two gorgeous shots to either corner of the net to guide Nashville to the win. Forsberg scored the tying marker early in the second period to make sure the victory was of the comeback variety just one more time.

“I don’t think there’s a lack of confidence we’re going to score goals or that we can win or how to win a game when it comes to the end,” Predators Head Coach Peter Laviolette said. “I think the guys are confident with that, and that’s just the way it’s presented itself on the road… We played the hand that was dealt and the guys played it well.”

Sissons opened the scoring at 17:26 of the first when he collected a cross-ice pass from P.K. Subban, picked his mark and flung the puck over the shoulder of Semyon Varlamov.

The Avalanche offense, which has been dominant of late, put the home team ahead with two goals in four minutes spanning the first and second periods. Nathan MacKinnon’s 36th of the campaign came on a one-timer off the post and in, and at 3:28 of the second, Gabriel Landeskog managed to slip the puck just under Juuse Saros’s pad.

Nashville would trail for exactly three minutes. Forsberg took two swings at a bouncing puck before connecting and swatting it into the net. Later in the frame, Sissons’s blast off a feed from Ryan Hartman gave the visitors the lead.

Saros and his defensemen were excellent as the Avalanche pushed to tie the contest, and then with just over a minute to play, Viktor Arvidsson fed Forsberg for his second of the night and 20th of the season to punch their ticket.

“It’s a good feeling in here, but we’ve got a lot of work to do down the stretch,” Nashville defenseman Ryan Ellis said. “Tonight, on [the second half of a] back-to-back and the travel and everything, it was a good effort by the guys, and we got the win, which was huge for us.”

Denver, CO – March 16: P.K. Subban #76 of the Nashville Predators jumps on teammate Colton Sissons #10 to celebrate a goal against the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center on March 16, 2018 in Denver, Colorado.
Denver, CO – March 16: P.K. Subban #76 of the Nashville Predators jumps on teammate Colton Sissons #10 to celebrate a goal against the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center on March 16, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. Michael Martin

Clutch Sissons:

Remember who had a hat trick last May to send the Predators to their first Stanley Cup Final in franchise history?

The stage wasn’t quite as big on Friday night in Denver, but there was still plenty at stake, and just like he did then, Colton Sissons not only showed up, but put up.

Sissons tallied twice in the 4-2 win over the Avalanche, giving the Preds their first goal of the night, and then potting what ended up as the game-winner to help his club become the first in the NHL this season to clinch a playoff berth.

“He’s a competitor,” Laviolette said of Sissons. “Some people rise up in big moments and some people can’t, too, they don’t know how to respond to the big moments. He seems to be proving himself as a guy that steps up in big situations when you need him.”

“I’ve always prided myself on showing up when it matters most and just being counted on upon as a reliable teammate,” Sissons said. “The bigger the stakes, you have to raise your level, and I was able to prove that last year in playoffs a little bit and I’ve continued to build on that this season.”

While the Predators know getting into the playoffs won’t guarantee anything, they can take pride in knowing they were the first to do so in 2018, hopefully the first of many milestones yet to come this spring.

“You take a little pride in that,” Laviolette said of clinching first. “The guys knew with a win tonight they would clinch, and I think they fought hard for it. I really liked our game tonight. We played a fast team that was desperate and competitive and really good at home… they came hard right at the beginning, so I really liked our guys and the way we competed and fought for that win.”

Notes:

The Predators are now 7-1-1 in the second half of back-to-back games this season, the best mark in the NHL.

Defensemen Anthony Bitetto and Alexei Emelin, along with winger Scott Hartnell were healthy scratches for Friday’s contest in Denver.

Nashville travels nearly across the entire country tomorrow morning to prepare for the third and final part of their three-game road trip in Buffalo against the Sabres.

Pete Weber’s Postgame Report

Warmer temperatures and a good sized crowd welcomed the Coffee County Central High School baseball team to Powers Field on Thursday.  In a game you heard here on Thunder Radio, the Red Raiders welcomed non-district foe Marshall County to CHS.  A dominant pitching performance by a pair of Coffee County pitchers lifted the Raiders to a 2 to 0 win.

The Raiders got on the board in the 1^st inning as a dropped 3^rd strike to Skylar Bratcher allowed Jacob Langham and Nathanial Tate to score.  Bratcher reached base 3 times as he had a hit, reached on the error in the first and was hit by a pitch.

Hunter Courtoy got the start on the mound for the Raiders as he went 4 and 1/3 innings with 5 strikeouts to get the win.  Zach Milan pitched the final 8 outs to capture the save.  For his dominant performance, Courtoy was recognized as the Crazy Daisies player of the game.

Coffee County returns to the diamond on Monday when they play host to Riverdale.  First pitch for that non-district contest will be at 6 PM.

Download the broadcast at: http://www.thunder1320.com/downloads/

Hitting the road for the first time this season, the Coffee County Central High School soccer team traveled to Lewisburg on Thursday night.  The Red Raiders visited Marshall County looking to build on the momentum of a strong performance on Tuesday night.  The Raiders scored the final 2 goals of the match to get the 4 to 2 win.

Paco Barrera got things started in the 5^th minute as he converted an assist from Tyler Walker to make the score 1 to 0.  Barrera added his second goal in the 23^rd minute unassisted.  Marshall County scored at the 25 minute mark to make the score 2 to 1 at intermission.

In the second half, the Tigers tied the match in the 45^th minute only to see Leo Botello put the Raiders back on top 3 to 2 off an assist from Briggs Haithcock.  Botello put the game out of reach in the 73^rd minute off an assist from Ben Reid to improve the Raiders to 2 and 0 on the season.

The Red Raiders will hit the road again on Tuesday when they open district play at Shelbyville.  That district match-up with the Eagles get underway at 7 PM.

Looking to continue the hot start to their season, the Westwood Middle School softball traveled to Fayetteville on Thursday night.  In a makeup from a game from March 6^th, the Lady Rockets tangled with the Lady Tigers of Fayetteville Middle School.  The Lady Rockets rallied for 3 runs in the 10^th inning to claim the 5 to 3 win.

After scoring 1 run in the top of the 1st, Westwood saw Fayetteville bounce back with 2 runs in the bottom of the first to take the lead.  Fayetteville held that lead until Westwood tied it in the 6^th inning on 4 straight singles.  In extra innings, the Lady Rockets plated 3 runs in the top of the 10^th.  The Lady Tigers pushed a run across in the bottom of the inning but Haidyn Campbell pitched out of a jam with the tying run at 2^nd base to get the win.

Emmalise Raymer had a 2 RBI double in the 10^th inning to provide the offensive spark for Westwood.  Raymer finished with 2 hits and 2 RBI on the evening.  Paisley Campbell had a single and a double while Kara Beth Patton and Emma Kidder each finished with 2 singles.  Haidyn Campbell struck out 16 to get the win for the Lady Rockets as they improve to 3 and 0 on the season.

The Lady Rockets return home on Monday when they play host to Moore County.  First pitch is set for 5 PM at Lady Rocket Field.

A rematch with Giles County awaited the Coffee County Central High School tennis teams on Thursday.  Playing their first road match of the year, and playing in much warmer conditions than Monday, Coffee County got another sweep over the Bobcat teams.  The Red Raiders won 7 to 0 while the Lady Raiders captured a 6 to 1 win.  Each team improved to 2 and 0 on the year.

In boys’ action, Landon Booth, Tyler Rigney and Jonah Rollman each got 8 to 0 singles wins.  Coffee County also received a pair of forfeit wins in singles.  In doubles, Rigney and Booth teamed up for an 8 to 2 match win.  Giles County also forfeited the second doubles match.

In girls’ play, Natalie Elzeer(8 to 2), Jessica Barrera(8 to 0), Kara Roper(8 to 0), Wren Lawson(8 to 0) and Odalis Garcia(8 to 0) got singles wins.  The teams of Elzeer and Lawson(8 to 0)  and Barrera and Roper(8 to 1) won in doubles action.

Coffee County will be in action again on Monday as they will play host to Cannon County.  The first serve is set for 4 PM at the Raider Tennis Courts behind the Raider Academy.