Predators will feel at home in playoffs after winning Presidents' Trophy

WASHINGTON -- Having taken care of their own business with a 4-3 victory against the Washington Capitals that clinched first place in the Central Division and the Western Conference on Thursday, the Nashville Predators knew one box remained unchecked on their regular season to-do list.

That was winning the
Presidents' Trophy
and clinching home-ice advantage throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
For that to happen Thursday, the Predators needed the Florida Panthers to defeat the Boston Bruins in regulation. That game started 30 minutes after theirs began, so it had yet to end when they returned to the visiting locker room at Capital One Arena.
After trying in vain to find the game on television, groups of Predators players huddled around smart phones to watch the live video stream. Some were in the medical trainer's room. Others found a spot in the main dressing area to watch while the Panthers clung to a 3-2 lead in the final minutes.

Standing around Predators manager of hockey operations Brandon Walker were captain Roman Josi, Viktor Arvidsson, Kevin Fiala, Scott Hartnell, Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Ellis. A late save by Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo prompted a cheer for "Bobby Lu!"
When the Panthers' 3-2 victory was secure, Ekholm let out a restrained "Yeah!" The players then exchanged high-fives and dispersed to shower and get dressed.
The celebration was reserved, but the significance of the moment was appreciated.
"It's a pretty good night for us, for sure," Josi said. "It's such a tough league, and I think it's something we take a lot of pride in. We worked hard all year for this. Obviously, the big goal remains to win a Stanley Cup, but it's definitely something we're proud of."
Since losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Final last season -- the first time they advanced beyond the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in their history -- the Predators (52-18-11) have been determined not to be one-hit wonders. They've established team records for wins and points (115) and embraced goals such as finishing in first in their division, the conference and the League -- things they hadn't done in their first 18 seasons of existence.
To wrap up all three in one night was special.
"I think it means a lot to us because … we've never done it before and I think they're huge accomplishments," said general manager David Poile, who has been with the Predators since their inaugural 1998-99 season. "I mean, the regular season has to mean something. We got our first banner up last year when we won the Clarence Campbell [Bowl] and so now we get two more banners up with first place in our division and conference and the Presidents' Trophy."

The Predators are aware these accomplishments don't guarantee success in the playoffs. All the Predators need to do is look at the Capitals, who won the Presidents' Trophy the past two seasons, but weren't able to advance past the Eastern Conference Second Round.
But to the Predators, it wasn't about the Presidents' Trophy as much as what comes with it.
"The words 'Presidents' Trophy' didn't come out much," coach Peter Laviolette said. "The words 'home ice' came out a lot, and just trying to secure home ice. So, with that comes the division or the conference or first in the League. We talked about home ice. We know it's important in the playoffs and we're trying to give ourselves the best chance to be successful in the playoffs."
The Predators went 9-2 at Bridgestone Arena during their run to the Stanley Cup Final last season and have seen how much of an impact their fans and the energy they create can have. They did it last season as the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference, meaning they didn't have home-ice advantage in any of the four series they played.
Now, they'll get an extra home game in every round if needed. Having gone 27-9-1 at Bridgestone Arena this season with one regular-season game left against the Columbus Blue Jackets there on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; FS-TN, FS-O, NHL.TV), that could be pivotal in their quest to return to the Stanley Cup Final.
"We learned what it was like to play at home in the playoffs, especially down the stretch, how amazing our fans are and how well they treat us," Ellis said. "To play at home, we can feel that energy, that excitement that they bring. To have the home ice is huge for our team."
That's why the players made the effort to watch the end of the Panthers' victory against the Bruins. While they were watching in the locker room, Laviolette and the rest of the coaching staff were watching in their office.
A nervous Poile found a quiet spot on the arena concourse to watch by himself before heading down to the locker room to congratulate the coaches and shake the hand of each player when they exited the locker room.
"When we get to a week from now and we start the playoffs, we'll be moving on to something else, but I'm very proud of our franchise," Poile said. "This is the first time we've done it and it means a lot and I'm proud of everybody, all the effort that was put in all year. So, I think it's really good."