Original subtitles

[traffic sounds]

[solemn music playing]

[faint crackling]

[therapist] See? That's a release of the motor point.

This is nine centimeters deep in there.

Ah!

[therapist] By definition, athletes are highly neuro-reactive.

That's what it needed.

Okay, buddy.

-Awesome. -[therapist] See how that feels.

-Thank you. -That was a work over.

That was good.

[dramatic music playing]

[dramatic music intensifying]

[crowd cheering]

To be a hockey player, you have to be pretty tough.

[Redmond] They lose their teeth, they get stitched up.

They're right back out there.

They're warriors.

[player screams]

[Subban] And I can tell you, pretty much everybody's banged up

throughout the season.

[Bissonnette] And not only having to play through that,

but also produce.

90% mental, 10% physicality. What they go through...

[player grunting]

...it's wild.

When you see your skill players

that a lot of people don't think are tough...

[Bissonnette] Being a superstar

with the weight of the world on your shoulders

and playing through that type of pain.

[Subban] It's a long road.

You have to get through that 82-game season

before you even have a chance to play for the Cup.

[announcer] They're banged up right now in terms of injuries.

[Subban] That's as tough as it gets.

[Blackburn] Hockey players are a different breed.

What they put themselves through physically, mentally,

you kind of ask yourself, why?

Why is it worth it?

[dramatic music playing]

[somber music playing]

[Forsberg] I think Nashville's probably a pretty good fit.

Are we getting ready?

[Forsberg] Twelve years ago when I first came here,

I came from one of the most hockey-crazy towns in Sweden,

where everyone knows everything,

and you go walk around town and they're super excited.

And then you come here and there's just so much other things to care about,

whether it's music, or football, or whatever it is.

All of a sudden we're in the final,

and it's 100,000 people on Broadway, watch party.

[loud cheering]

Another 20 in the building.

-The city never looked back. -[announcer] Forsberg shoots.

Scores!

[laughing]

[Bissonnette] He looks like he was born in Nashville, but he's Swedish.

Married a country music star.

He's just really embraced everything that Nashville's provided.

[Redmond] Two things come to mind when you say "Filip Forsberg."

Best mustache in the NHL,

and also one of the more underappreciated talents

in the National Hockey League.

[crowd cheering]

[Forsberg] This guy's too short for the front row?

Here we go.

We should take three pics and crop them together.

[player] Oh yeah.

[man] Great job.

[Forsberg] My dad played in the second league in Sweden,

and my first dream once I realized what hockey was,

was to play for the pro team in my hometown.

I was able to fulfill that dream when I was 16,

and that's kind of when your name starts being talked about for the draft.

[reporter] Is this overwhelming at all? All this attention?

Nah, well, it's-- It's fun. It's fun to be here.

And I guess it's a part of the job.

[country music playing]

[Josi] I remember the day when he came here.

We were like, "Oh, my God, this guy is so skilled."

We knew what we had in him right away.

[announcer 1] And nice play by Forsberg to steal the puck away.

[announcer 2] He goes right over two guys' heads,

then gets it back to himself.

[announcer 1] And Forsberg delivers!

[Bissonnette] When you look at a guy like Forsberg, he's just a true gamer.

Oh, boy.

Yeah, he's playing through his ankle right now. That's a tough thing to play through.

[Forsberg] It was just a blocked shot that ended up like a pressure cut.

[announcer 1] Oh, it's blocked by Forsberg.

[announcer 2] He doesn't have a play. He's just trying to chip it past Forsberg.

[Forsberg] Sliced the foot, and a couple of stitches,

and thought it'd be sore for a handful of days, and then we can get back to it.

All right, let's go work out.

I've kind of learned how to handle it.

Do a lot of work in the gym,

trying to stay ready and stay in condition.

It's been a day-to-day type of approach.

Obviously, when it first happened,

I didn't think I was gonna be talking about it now.

[O'Reilly] I only see probably half of it at the rink,

of his preparation, and what he gets into,

and, you know, how he takes care of himself.

[therapist] All the fluid that gets-- Accumulates here during the game.

It's crazy.

[Forsberg] Especially in a long season. There's gonna be all kinds of toughness.

Not just the physical toughness, but just having that mental toughness

of knowing that I'm doing this for my teammates.

The pain is one thing, but just mentally getting yourself dialed in for games

every time is pretty hard, and...

Um, but he's been playing awesome.

I'm gonna do this for you.

We're just using the acupuncture to stimulate blood flow in this area

and try to drain the excessive swelling.

[Forsberg] I literally just play. I don't practice.

Games only, which is working.

Missed a lot of practice, and...

We keep giving him shit for that.

[Prebeg] He's trying to heal it, but then he's irritating it

every other night playing.

On the treatment, just try to get it back to good enough to play,

then obviously you do what's necessary, we shoot it up before the game.

And as long as I can play and not make it worse in the long term,

I'm gonna play.

Once you get to where I am now, almost ten years in this league,

then you realize how fickle time is.

You know, you don't have a lot of time to win.

You want to take a picture of his-- Do a butt shot?

[laughs]

[cameraman] I thought that's what we were coming here for.

Sell the game.

Regardless of how much the game is changing,

you do need to be tough.

When any player pushes through an injury, that sends a message.

And when it comes from your star player, it means just that much more.

[dramatic music playing]

[Eichel] Hockey came into my life early. I was on skates pretty young.

I had worked my whole entire life to make it to the NHL,

and the first few years in Buffalo,

I was living out a lifelong dream.

[announcer] The new captain of the Buffalo Sabers,

number nine, Jack Eichel!

You know, went a little downhill around Covid, after a neck injury.

[broadcaster] Jack Eichel, my friends.

The Sabers just announced that the captain is out tonight

with an upper body injury.

[Eichel] You see a-- Yeah, they-- You know, a cervical herniation.

And you realize you're... You're in some big trouble.

He seeks out medical advice from numerous places,

and the Sabers don't support him having the surgery.

No hockey player has ever gotten this surgery performed,

but other athletes have.

Sort of like a guinea pig for the NHL, in some respects, I guess.

It were up to me, this would have all happened a long time ago.

I wanted to get this surgery done last spring.

Whoo!

This one's pretty nice after the sauna, though.

Tell you what, it's pretty refreshing getting in here.

I think with the disc replacement, everyone's biggest issue with it

was it hadn't been done on a hockey player yet.

I don't think medically that that's a good enough reason

to not let somebody do something.

[Adams] Unfortunately, yesterday, Jack did not pass his physical.

Um, at this point,

Jack is not willing to move forward

with what our doctors are suggesting is the fusion surgery.

I spoke to the team yesterday and addressed this.

Jack Eichel is no longer the captain of the Buffalo Sabers.

[Eichel] You know, I get stripped of my C. I'm not traded.

There was a lot of low points for me.

I'm not a coach. I'm just a player.

So our coaches put in systems for us to follow,

and we didn't do a good enough job of doing it.

And that's why we didn't win enough games, and that's why our season ends today.

Mentally, I just wasn't in a good place.

Obviously was away from the game that I loved.

I was in a tough place physically.

I knew I had an injury and, listen, I wasn't gonna get cleared

until I did something about it.

You know, fortunately, Vegas came calling.

The rest is history.

[broadcaster] Today's headline news:

Jack Eichel is headed to Vegas.

[Redmond] The one thing we know about Vegas,

they are not going out of their way to acquire anyone

if they don't really believe that that person will help them win.

He gets his surgery,

and when he eventually is able to come back

and join the Golden Knights lineup,

they go and win a Stanley Cup.

[announcer] Jack Eichel finishes with the most points

of anybody in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

One of the most elite players in the game.

[Bissonnette] The face of American hockey,

a remarkable player at both ends of the ice.

[announcer] He scores!

[Blackburn] He's as tough as it gets,

coming back from a nearly career-ending injury to win a Stanley Cup.

[Redmond] I wouldn't call it the evil empire,

but they are willing to do whatever it takes to win...

no matter who it pisses off, or who it hurts.

They do not care.

-[Eichel] Alrighty. -[man] Alright.

Alrighty. Napkins on, everyone.

-Are you gonna get wine? -[Eichel] Do bears shit in the woods?

-[woman laughs] -Okay.

-[woman] Guess so. -[laughs]

Every day, Jack gets home from the rink, and he's laughing, and this and that.

Cheers, friends.

The days that they have days off, he still wants to go to the rink.

[laughs] So, yeah, you can say he's happy.

Is dinner on Amazon or what?

[laughter]

Dinner's on me if you want it.

Jack, you know, as a player, he kind of has that killer instinct.

You know, he's always been like that since we were young.

[announcer] Here's the centering feed. Chance in front.

Score! Here's Jack Eichel.

[announcer 2] Welcome to the Eichel show.

[Hanifin] When we were at the national program,

there was a lot of attention on him.

The media was talking about him all the time.

And then when he went to BU, he won the Hobey Baker as a freshman

in a draft year, which is almost unheard of.

I think that bond we formed at the national program,

we always stay pretty close after that.

What do you guys want to order?

Honestly, like, I'm good with whatever.

I think we're ready to go, but we're gonna put some pressure on you.

-All right. -We'll do the shrimp cocktail.

Definitely do the meatballs, calamari, the penne vodka, rigatoni Bolognese.

Sliced New York. Is there a creamed corn I had last time?

-Yup, 100%. -You guys want chicken parm.

-Yes. -Chicken parm.

-Oh, yeah. -And could we get a bottle of Cescaia?

[Hanifin] That's a professional order.

[Erin] Noah sounds impressed.

[laughs]

[Eichel] I have a long relationship with Noah.

-Congrats, brother. -Thanks.

[Eichel] So I was super excited to have him here.

[Hanifin] I think it was a day or two before the deadline.

I got a call from Jack being like, "Hey, have you heard anything from Vegas?"

An hour later, I was traded here. So, crazy.

I think that's the great thing about playing here in Vegas,

our expectation every season is to win the Stanley Cup.

[man] Acquiring Noah Hanifin to improve the talent.

This team is willing to do whatever it takes to win.

They don't care about feelings.

They don't care about guys being attached to the city.

They're like, "Fuck you."

You know, I was traded here, so I wasn't here at the beginning.

But there's so many die-hard fans who are local.

Everyone has a Vegas Golden Knights license plate.

There's Vegas Golden Knights billboards everywhere,

I love it here.

You know, Erin, my girlfriend loves it here.

It is for sure a heck of a hockey town.

It's-- It's fun.

[Eichel] But there's a lot of pressure that comes with it,

and when you don't produce good results, the organization will obviously move on.

And so people are willing to do things and sacrifice their body

and their well-being because everything's just...

geared around that next game, winning.

[Redmond] They care about one thing.

Winning.

[Eichel] It's such a competitive environment

that you don't really have a choice other than to,

you know, work as hard as you can every day.

Who wants the last shrimp cocktail?

-You do. You gotta clear the sinuses. -I think you want it.

Yeah, I actually do really want it.

[Forsberg] We play "NHL 24." I play with my friends from back home.

[Erin] Filip almost told everybody we were pregnant before he wanted to

because the celebration for his goals was cradling a baby.

[Forsberg] Goal!

There it is.

[Erin] There's your little baby.

[producer] What was the moment like when you found out you were gonna be a dad?

I mean, it was awesome, obviously.

It's funny because all the movies,

I feel like it's just like this grand scene,

you know, of like, "Oh, I'm pregnant."

It's like, "No way. There's no way I could have known."

But it's pretty obvious

when you're together every single day.

Yeah, so that was three-nothing in five minutes?

And we're moving on?

[Erin] And we're moving on.

We were talking last night with playoffs.

Okay, so what if it's like Game 7 of the second round of playoffs

and your water breaks like halfway through the game?

I think I would err on the side of not wanting to tell him.

Let's not make this a big frantic,

"Oh, no, he has to leave the game halfway through."

Okay, but we got some books from everybody at the shower.

[producer] Let's talk about that game though. What happened after the shower?

So we all went to the game.

The whole shower basically went to the game, like our friends in town.

It was like all our friends came into town for it.

And Filip fought at the game, which was...

I think my first time seeing you fight in person.

[announcer 1] Forsberg mixing it up with Seider.

And they're gonna go at it.

[announcer 2] They've dropped the gloves!

[announcer 1] Oh, my goodness. Forsberg.

[Erin] I don't adore the fighting.

I don't know how women do it whose husbands fight more often

because that is actually terrifying,

Especially when you are bringing a baby into the world.

It is a little bit scarier. I realized that.

It's kind of less entertaining,

and it's now a little bit more real that this is a father soon to be.

So no more fights. But yeah.

[birds tweeting]

[Redmond] It's been an interesting season for the Nashville Predators,

trying to be more than a team

that squeaks into the playoffs.

[Bissonnette] They really expected to be a top dog.

And that's where expectations were for this Predators team coming in this year.

[announcer] And Andrew Brunette's not gonna be happy with that start

for his Preds team.

[Bissonnette] And it was a rocky start.

And then all of a sudden they go on an eight-game slide.

[announcer] He said, "We didn't look like a team that had a desire

to be in the playoffs."

At the end of the day, you just pray for no injuries.

And that's... that's your main focus, I think, as a wife and as a family member.

And, of course, hope for a win because the morale in the house

is so much more fun when you're winning rather than losing.

They were planning on heading to Vegas early and hitting the Sphere

for a U2 concert before they played the Golden Knights.

I was really excited about the Sphere.

I've heard great things about it.

And then obviously the Dallas game happened when we lost 9-2.

[announcer] Dallas demolishes the Predators 9-2

on the road.

Probably one of the worst games I've been a part of as a player.

[broadcaster] You could see a very dejected Preds team getting off the ice.

[Blackburn] Barry Trotz, the GM, told that team,

"The way that we've been playing is unacceptable.

I don't give a damn what tickets you bought,

how many you bought,

and how great of a time you were planning to have at the Sphere.

You're not going."

Yeah, the management canned the trip.

The canceled field trip for a group of grown-ass men

is what catapults them to go on the run of all runs.

[announcer] Forsberg scores!

[Forsberg] That's it, boys. Great job.

It was obviously a wake-up call for everyone.

We really banded together and we kind of found the identity that we needed.

They turned into the best team in hockey for like a two-month span.

[announcer] For the empty net. He scores!

[Forsberg] What a play. What a play.

We just got that momentum and kept winning games, kept winning games.

We haven't lost in regulation since.

[players] Yeah!

Now they label it the "F U2 Tour."

It was fun to watch him, you know, accomplish personal goals

and watch the team accomplish big things as well.

[announcer] The Predators keep moving forward.

Something happened, whether it was a genius decision by management

or just the players realizing the seriousness of our situation,

I don't know, but it worked.

[announcer] And the record is still intact.

15-0-2.

I think it's just a testament to the leaders in that room,

Forsberg being one of them.

[Forsberg] It's 82 games in the regular season,

and the later in the season, the more importance the game has.

You obviously need to take the games very seriously.

Wave after wave after wave, I mean, it just becomes a relentless pursuit.

You look great.

Are you gonna remember where we are?

[Forsberg] Yeah. There's a jersey for them to bring.

[Erin] He played every single game this season,

which was amazing to watch, even with that ankle.

But, yeah, he just grinded it out.

[Forsberg] Vegas, they're obviously wild card two,

and we're wild card one, so we'll know exactly the stakes.

It's a great, great challenge.

Obviously the defending Stanley Cup champions

who made a lot of moves at the deadline to trying to go for it again.

So it'd be a really good test for us.

[Eichel] You know, we go on the road a lot during the year.

I think mid-March we started playing well. I thought we played pretty good hockey.

We were starting to build our game heading into the postseason.

[woman] How's the ankle feeling?

It feels good, actually.

It feels probably about as good as it has now.

Hey, how are you doing?

-Hey, how are you? -Great.

Obviously at ten games left, we really need every point we can get.

Every win we can get.

I think all the experiences you go through,

you know, kind of help mold you into what you're gonna become.

[suspenseful music playing]

[Josi] Almost every game is kind of a playoff game for us

because we are still fighting for a playoff spot.

[Eichel] They had been on a streak of 17 straight games,

and it feels like anytime we play them, it's usually a one-goal game.

Together, we thought,

there's no reason why this group shouldn't do it.

[announcer 1] These two teams occupy the two wildcard positions right now.

[crowd cheers]

[announcer 2] The last game the Predators played against Vegas

in Vegas, near the start of the streak....

[announcer 1] That was the infamous U2 trip that was nixed.

Seventeen games without a regulation loss. So we're gonna try to make it 18.

[announcer 1] Long pass to Eichel.

Here he comes, sends it across. One-timer, scores.

[player] Hell of a play!

-Come on. -[announcer 1] Mantha gets it back.

Centers it! They score.

[player] Let's go, let's take this over here.

Last fucking half of this period is all fucked up.

-Come on. -[announcer 1] Fed to the slot.

It gets through the first wave. The shot by Theodore...

Upper corner, scores!

[Eichel] Yeah, great job!

[Forsberg] It's one of those periods, everything just bounced away from us

and right to them.

[Erin] Do you feel his little foot here? It's weird.

Filip goes, "I only feel one foot."

I was like, "How do you know what you're feeling?"

He's like, "I feel one foot."

-[exclaiming] -Yeah, I know. It's like a roll.

We've had a long stretch where this hasn't happened, okay?

It's just something as simple as

we're just getting out-competed around our net.

Again, remember, win or lose,

we're still building to be better every night here, okay?

-So this is a great test. -[applause]

[announcer 1] Vegas will hope to keep that clock moving now.

Sit back and look for the counter--

Scores!

Yeah! Good stuff!

[announcer 2] This team's not gonna quit, Willy. We know that.

[Forsberg] That's right.

[announcer 1] In the corner. Down low and it's loose.

Score! Yes!

-[horn blows] -Yeah!

[announcer 2] It's a one-goal game!

Hey! You suck!

Hey! You suck!

Yeah, I'm gonna go to the hustle from here.

You go-- Okay.

-[applause] -Keep it going.

[announcer 1] Still pushing back, crowd starting to get energized here.

Tip by Forsberg.

Rebound in front. He almost scored.

Shoots. He scores!

Yeah!

Fucking right!

[announcer 2] We're tied!

[Forsberg] Yes, all right, all right.

[Eichel] Parity in the NHL allows for any team to beat any team on any given night,

and it was almost like our game was sliding a little.

They had a third period comeback.

[announcer 1] What a dramatic comeback.

[announcer 2] Predators just refuse to go away.

[announcer 1] Here we go. First possession for the Golden Knights.

Nashville gets possession. Forsberg stole it away.

Three man weave.

Josi hits the accelerator...

He scores!

[crowd cheering]

[Forsberg, laughing] Yeah!

[announcer 1] You'd better believe this team is for real.

Eighteen straight.

[Forsberg] Fucking nice, boys!

[upbeat pop music playing]

♪ A-one, a-two, a-one, two, three ♪

♪ Get up, get up ♪

♪ Get up and shake your... ♪

[Forsberg] Comeback win at home against the defending Stanley Cup champions

definitely can give us a massive morale boost

with ten games left to go to the playoffs.

♪ Everybody now, get up ♪

♪ Get up... ♪

[Forsberg] Gotta keep staying on this ankle, make sure it still stays healthy,

and we can, yeah, play our best hockey in the playoffs.

♪ Get up, get up ♪

♪ Get up and sing along with me ♪

[excited chatter]

[woman] What can I get started for you today, Erin?

Two 8 count chicken nuggets, sriracha, and Chick-fil-A sauce.

And then an Icedream cone, please.

Great. Thank you.

-See you tomorrow. -[woman laughs]

Same time, same place.

Without the cameras.

[woman] Filip's injury last year at the end of the year, his concussion.

-Gonna make me cry. -[woman] Oh, okay.

-We don't want to do that. -No, it's okay.

I was actually at a charity event. It was here.

And I see every woman in the audience looking at me

like as if they'd just seen a ghost.

And I was like, why? Like, what's going on?

And I looked over because they were playing the game on the screen.

And somebody's laying there, and it was Filip.

I didn't know if I needed to go to Philadelphia.

I didn't know, like...

You don't really know what's happening.

And Filip can't tell them what's happening.

Concussions, I would argue, are the trickiest parts

of this whole industry, is that you don't--

You can't see, like, when something's healing.

And that's-- With the head, you don't really know exactly.

Some days you feel great, and the next day you don't feel so great.

And I don't think he's pushing through an injury

because of what happened last year.

I do think that he obviously does not want to have another injury.

He doesn't want to sit out any games.

But I think last year is just very much its own nightmare.

Kind of got to just forget it happened

because you can't play with the fear of a concussion.

I think that's when you attract another one.

So you just go into every game as if it's your first.

-[Theodore] What's up, guys? -[Eichel] Come on in, Shea.

[Adam] Best meal in town.

[producer] What are we making today? What's on the menu?

Every game we have pretty much the same things.

Every game day, we gather.

I'm very routine-based.

Welcome back.

[Eichel] Game day, just get up, have breakfast, go to the rink.

Hi, buddy!

[lips smack]

Just sit down with the guys after.

Pregame skate, relax a little bit, have a meal.

Hanni.

Oh, what's up, Harold?

[Eichel] Just kind of trying to do the same routine over and over.

-Thank you. -[Adam] You're welcome. Enjoy.

I was like, "Jack, I cannot eat the exact same meal any more."

[laughs]

So now he has a chef that cooks for him and his teammates.

A little different presentation today, huh?

-Thank you very much. -[Eichel] Bringing out the big guns.

I've sort of found out what I think makes me feel the best,

and I just try and do those things as repetitive as possible.

[producer] It's not always here?

No, it's always here. Yeah.

Well, unless I'm not playing.

But when I was hurt, it wasn't.

[producer] How's your neck now?

[Eichel] My neck's good. Yeah.

[interviewer] Do you have a scar from that?

Yeah, it's right here.

They got me back doing what I love. That was the most important thing.

Obviously got my health back.

I think that's even more important than the hockey aspect of it.

But for us as players,

I think the biggest thing is you're able to get back out there and compete.

-[Hanifin] Thanks, Jackie boy. -[Eichel] Anytime. See you guys tonight.

Naptime?

[Eichel] It's naptime, yup.

[broadcaster 1] Nashville fans will mark the season pre-U2, post-U2.

Hey, guys.

[broadcaster 2] Predators and Golden Knights

rounding out the Western Conference wildcard standings.

[broadcaster 3] The Vancouver Canucks against the Predators.

Dallas and the Vegas Golden Knights.

[broadcaster 4] All right, boys. Dallas/Vegas.

This is gonna be an unreal series.

Two Cup contenders going at it.

[Bissonnette] This is gonna be a big-boy hockey series.

It's gonna be a war, dude.

[Eichel] Going into the playoffs. I think it's always tough mentally.

It's just a long, grueling few months, mentally and emotionally.

It definitely takes a toll on you.

They're a good first period team. On our toes, ready to go.

Unbelievable is what it is.

Everyone's buying in.

Every battle for a loose puck is intense.

[Eichel] It's just so competitive. Everyone's more willing to pay the price.

Many people believe the Stanley Cup

is the hardest trophy to win in professional sports

because you're not coming out of it in one piece.

[announcer] Marchessault lunging for it.

Delays to Eichel. Empty net, and he scores.

[Blackburn] We see Vegas come out of the gate hot

with two wins to open up the playoffs.

Who would have thought this is where it all falls apart?

[announcer] To the outside. He's in, a shot--

He scores!

[player] All right, maybe we'll start playing now, eh?

[Blackburn] They dropped three in a row to the number one seed, Dallas.

[player] Jesus, let's fucking be on our toes!

[Blackburn] Now their backs are up against the wall.

They need to survive.

[announcer] Hanifin put it in.

And shot! Scores!

[Bissonnette] After that, it looked good.

It looked like all of the new pieces were gelling

and on their way to have another run.

[Blackburn] Before you know it, Eichel and the Golden Knights

have themselves in a critical Game 7 matchup against Dallas.

[Erin] There is like a bit of a pivot in Filip's mentality right now.

Definitely playoffs in general, he is like so dialed in,

which as he should be.

And he's that way during season, but it's a different type of focus

where I feel like I can talk to him about anything.

But during playoffs, it's almost like you don't really want to.

You kind of want to just let him do his thing, and vice versa.

But, yeah, he's pretty dialed in.

[broadcaster 1] The other game tonight: Nashville/Vancouver.

[broadcaster 2] Barn burner!

[caller] I think that Nashville's actually gonna win this series.

And Nashville, sacrificing their body in playoff time,

you've got to do that.

It is literally like living Groundhog's Day on a game day.

He wakes up at 8:08 in the morning.

He does not wake up on 8:05, 8:10, 8:15.

[Forsberg] For a normal, so to speak, person, that's probably weird.

But for us it's kind of like just a routine that you have,

and eat the same thing.

Go to bed at the same time, leave at the same time.

Like, do the same warm-up.

I put my skates on at 7:07 every game.

I mean, when you're speaking it out loud, it's pretty silly.

But the mental strength kind of comes from that routine.

That's very valuable when it gets to the playoffs.

[Josi] There's a lot on the line. The first round is extremely hard.

Doesn't matter who you play,

as long as you make the playoffs, anything's possible.

[O'Reilly] All right, boys, I can guarantee you, you get my fucking best.

I expect it from every single one of you motherfuckers.

No matter what happens, we have each other's backs

and we are fucking relentless.

Whoo-hoo!

[announcer] It's the Canucks and the Nashville Predators

in Game 1 of the opening round.

[Blackburn] First two games of the series,

we see the Predators get a hard-fought split in Vancouver.

[announcer] The Predators fail to clear.

Here's Miller again. Shoots. He scores!

[Blackburn] Game 3, they drop a really tight one.

And now in Game 4, they are super desperate.

[announcer] Lets it go for Garland. Centers.

Lindholm! Scores!

Elias Lindholm.

[player] Fuck!

[Blackburn] They don't want to let the series slip away,

and this is the game that they need to seize.

[Forsberg] Gonna get on the plane tomorrow

and, yeah, regroup and just try to win one game down there.

[announcer] Game 5, from Rogers Arena in Vancouver.

Josi in front, puck is loose, underneath Silovs. He kept it out-- Now it's in!

Clears it up high. Carrier drives, scores!

[player] Yes! There we go!

What a fucking win! Great job, boys! Fucking right!

[Forsberg] That's how small the margins are.

You get hot at the right time, you do the right things.

All of sudden, you're looking at success.

Whoo! That's it, fellas.

[Blackburn] Forsberg and the Predators enter Game 6

facing elimination, down 3-2 to Vancouver.

-[players] Yeah! -[applause]

[dramatic music playing]

[Forsberg] We got a new, uh... New laser

-since the last time they were here. -[therapist] Yeah.

Greatest thing in the world.

[therapist] That's right. This is gonna bring us the Cup.

How's Erin feeling?

Good.

She's grinding?

She's grinding.

Getting close.

Is she pretty uncomfortable?

Yeah.

Yeah, she's over it?

-She sure is. -Yeah.

[Erin] Hockey really is extremely physical,

and I think that the guys just kind of roll with it.

If he can convince himself that he's not in pain,

he can convince himself that his ankle's not throbbing,

I'm sure, for months on end.

And yeah, he's pretty tough. Nothing really fazes the guy.

[Forsberg] Time is ticking, and it's not like I got a ton of time.

And the Stanley Cup is the number one. I mean, that's what you want.

Good night, sir.

Thanks.

It's the hardest trophy in sports to win,

so I think that's, at the end of the day, that's what everybody does.

Yeah, myself especially.

[dramatic music playing]

We don't have to be anything but us, okay?

We talk about the best version of ourselves.

And we're gonna fight for each other here tonight.

We're gonna fight for the togetherness,

and the joy is in the battle and being together.

Let's be our best and let's leave all out there.

[applause]

[cheering]

[announcer] They're on their feet here in Nashville.

They have been waiting to explode tonight, but nothing so far, not for either side.

The first 40 minutes have come and gone without a goal.

[player] Alrighty, go right at 'em, boys! Come on, come on!

If it's clean, I'm coming to you.

Go, go, go!

[player shouting]

Hey!

-[referee] Not tonight. Not right now. -[Forsberg] Just standing right here.

-I'm not even close to the crease. -Just don't stand there. Zero-zero game.

Uh, yeah, let me come off the wall.

-[player] Come off the wall? -[Forsberg] Yeah.

Get in here, get in here.

Over, over, over, over!

[announcer] Under two minutes remaining in the third period of game number six.

[player shouting]

Hey, hey! Escape, escape.

[announcer] Puck behind the net.

Right in front, and they score!

[player] Fuck me! Fucking kidding me.

[announcer] The Vancouver Canucks and Arturs Silovs

have shut out Nashville in Game 6.

And they win the series.

One-nothing Canucks, season over for the Preds.

A week and a half into the playoffs, and you're going home.

[Erin] The sting of losing early, you know, not going to the finals,

you never really can get used to it as a partner.

You watch how it hurts,

as if it's the first time he's ever gone through it.

It stung. It stung the same as it did the year prior.

And hopefully one year, it doesn't have to sting.

[Brunette] Hockey's cruel sometimes.

It hurts them. It hurts me because we were close.

Didn't happen.

But I think that group should hold their heads up high.

We would love to play a Game 7.

That is the best thing in hockey to do.

And you dream of it, and it didn't happen.

[Forsberg] It's just empty. The season's over.

I mean, yesterday, planning, thinking about the future.

Now you just-- Everything is over.

It's a-- It's a hard thing to explain.

That's probably the best way to explain it.

Just empty.

Everything is out the window.

Whatever you had going on is now not going on anymore.

It's the hard, harsh reality of it, I guess.

[broadcaster 1] There's nothing more beautiful in our culture

than the words "Game 7."

[broadcaster 2] Where's that pressure on Vegas?

[broadcaster 3] Well, there's lots of pressure.

And we know this owner. He demands wins.

[Eichel] Having won the Stanley Cup just makes your desire to win it again

that much more, knowing what that feeling is like.

You know, and then as you start getting closer

to the ultimate prize in the playoffs, you know, you're not sleeping.

You can't get your mind off of it. It's all you think about every day.

The margin of victory has been so small.

It usually comes down to a play here or there.

So, uh, I imagine it'll be the same tonight.

I think toughness can be shown in a lot of forms,

not only physically, but mentally.

And I think just the bond between teammates,

you don't want to leave... Leave your guys out there.

Good support, good play on the wall, good positioning right here.

[Eichel] So now it's anyone's series, right?

It's Game 7, and there's just so many emotions that go through your your body.

-[Ward] Let's get it done here tonight. -[applause]

[Eichel] Every little sacrifice or workout

helped me get to this pinnacle of my sport that I've always wanted to be at.

And it's the one thing I've dreamed of doing my entire life.

And now, to be here doing it,

it's about trying to stay as even keel as possible

and keeping your emotions in check

and trying to do what makes you successful.

[Cassidy] Let's not be squeezing the stick.

You get an opportunity to put it in the net, do it, live with it and move on.

Good line changes, and go fucking enjoy it here, all right?

-Let's go in the first period. -[applause]

Fucking A. What do you say, Steve-o?

Come on, Shifty, Marty.

[announcer] Nothing in sports can match

the intensity of this.

Game 7.

Puck is dropped, and we are underway.

[player] Here we go.

[man] Come on, Jack!

[announcer] Eichel with some speed.

Left circle! Blocked out of play.

[Eichel] Hey, we got to be quicker, eh? Quicker! Quicker.

[announcer] Giveaway, Johnston!

-He scores! -[crowd cheers]

[horn blows]

Come on, be hard on those, Lo!

Assertive here!

Hey, we're fine.

Hey, one fucking goal's not gonna beat us.

[announcer] Three on three come the Knights.

Amadio in front! Howden scores!

[all cheer]

[player] What a fucking play! Let's go!

[announcer] And Game 7 is tied at one.

[Cassidy] Come on, win that puck, Jack.

Angle 'em, Jack.

[announcer] Jack Eichel delays, backhand.

He missed the net!

Did he fucking miss?

[announcer] Eichel shanks it just wide of the net.

[Eichel] You know, if I had scored that goal,

it would have given our team

some really good momentum and a really good energy boost.

[announcer 1] Jack Eichel still cannot believe it.

[announcer 2] His cranium aches right now.

[Eichel] Fuck!

[announcer 1] And Game 7 is headed to the third

tied up 1 to 1.

[Eichel] Fuck me!

Goddamn it.

[breathing heavily]

Fuck!

Jesus Christ.

Fucking empty fucking net.

[Cassidy] Okay, we finished strong.

Be comfortable in these type of fucking games here.

Just relax.

We put ourselves in a great spot here. You were the better team.

We missed a couple of chances. We're not gonna miss the fucking next one.

Let's go to work here. Come on now.

[announcer] We are underway in the final frame.

Come on, we got to get back to our game here!

Back to our game!

[announcer] Leaves it for Smith. Back for Faksa.

It was in his skates. Backhand...

He scored!

Opening minute of the third!

The Stars are back in front!

[player] Here we go, guys! Come on, we're okay!

It's only one goal!

[Eichel] Come on, let's go net one, hey?

Attack, attack, attack!

One shot. That's all it takes.

[announcer] Stone goes back.

And it's a Stephenson shot! And it's gloved.

[Cassidy] Time-out! Time-out! Time-out!

-[referee] You're calling time-out? -[Cassidy] Time-out, yeah.

Hey, I'd like to see you guys get on your forehands on the top

because they pressure a lot.

If we win the draw, all right, we got to get to the net.

We can't fuck around. Jack, right into the high slot.

[announcer] 1:50 to go,

and now they can pull him for the extra attacker.

[Eichel] I'm telling you right now, if you're wide, if you shoot at the wall,

they're finding shit.

So if you roll out the back, we're there.

[announcer] We're in the final minute of Game 7.

[referee] Hey! Play over!

Watch your feet.

[announcer] Here you go.

Jamie Benn and Jack Eichel on the draw,

glove side of Jake Oettinger.

Face-off won by Vegas.

Knights control. Setup is six on five.

Fifteen seconds to play.

Hertl to Hanifin, across. Eichel shoots...

And he kept it out!

Aw fuck, we need that at the net.

[announcer] Seven seconds left.

Hanifin, Eichel. Saved by Oettinger!

It's over!

-[cheering] -[horn blows]

The Stars have dethroned the Knights in seven!

And they're moving on!

[crowd cheering]

[dramatic music playing]

[Eichel] It was such a tight series.

And, you know, I give Dallas a ton of credit.

You know, going in that series, I think everyone in the locker room would agree

we thought we were gonna beat Dallas and, you know, just...

go on the same run.

I love you, buddy.

That's a good series, buddy.

-Good job, man. -You too.

[Eichel] There's so many things that go into the process of winning.

It's tough because I feel like if I had scored that goal,

maybe it was a different story for our team.

[Erin] He takes losses hard.

Part of him always thought you were gonna be a team

that was gonna make it the whole way, so I know it was hard for him.

[Eichel] You know, you just...

You gotta...

You gotta realize it's... You know, it's a game of inches.

And, unfortunately, I didn't finish that play.

And, you know, that was the difference.

But that's the, uh...

You know, that's the game.

We were just getting going.

Like, if we had just gotten through them, man...

[somber music playing]

-[seagulls squawking] -[waves lapping]

[Eichel] We're at my summer beach house.

It's kind of my getaway in the offseason.

It's a place I came as a kid growing up,

and I had the opportunity to, uh, build a house here.

I enjoy spending my summer here.

I think every player goes through ups and downs

over the course of a season and a career.

You know, your confidence wavers a bit.

[broadcaster 1] Vegas made way too many mistakes.

[broadcaster 2] He absolutely should have put it in when he's got an open net.

[broadcaster 3] That's hockey karma that you can't deny.

[Eichel] The empty feeling, you just-- I didn't know what to think, right?

You're just sitting here like, "Oh wow, we're no longer the Stanley Cup champs."

Someone else is gonna win this year.

And I think it's always tough mentally,

But just like anything, you get back to work and pushing forward.

As I get older, I feel so fortunate to be able to do this

and turn a passion into, you know, your career.

But understanding it is a job and it is your, you know, livelihood.

Listen, I think everyone has to sacrifice things for what they want in life,

and I definitely sacrificed different things throughout my life.

But I love it in Vegas.

You know, I'd love to continue to be a part of this.

When you win a Stanley Cup,

it's such a difficult thing to do.

You just wonder if you'll ever have the opportunity to do it again.

[gentle acoustic music playing]

[Forsberg] Yeah, we added a player.

[Erin] Our little Mother's Day gift.

[Forsberg] Sunday came around 25 minutes in...

-[Erin] Yup. -[Forsberg] ...and it was time to go.

We were laughing because we waited to push

until after Filip finishes breakfast.

And my brother said, "Damn it, even the miracle of life

has to work around Filip's schedule."

[laughing] They just find it so funny how regimented our life is.

I guess that's the only silver lining of losing in the playoffs,

is that six, seven days later, Felix came.

And I've been home every single day of it.

We'd love to have more in the future when the time is right,

but you can't take that for granted either, so...

Now, looking back, I don't know what I would have done if he weren't here.

This would have been hard for you.

-Yeah. -Harder. It was already hard.

But I didn't do much, but I did my...

-[Erin] You did so much. -...did my part.

[Erin] You keep saying that. That's not true.

[producer] How's the ankle?

[Forsberg] Oh, the ankle is still... It's almost worse.

Like, the body just shuts down.

Like, it's fighting for you for so long, but then once it's over...

Yeah, like the mental part of the game.

Like you wake up the next morning when we lost,

and I was-- I couldn't move.

Yeah, no, it played out the way it was supposed to.

[Erin] Three best friends that anyone could have.

Dang right.

He smiled at that, I think. It's hard to tell.

-[Erin] It's gas. -Could be.

-[laughs] -[Forsberg] Very likely.

[Erin] It will be nice to have Filip around in the summer, and...

I think just the three of us figuring it out.

Be a family before the season starts again,

and we get a little bit of a shadow of Filip for a little bit.

♪ Baby ♪

♪ Remember on the bus And my hand was on your knee? ♪

♪ When you love somebody ♪

♪ It's hard to think about anything But to breathe ♪

[Erin] Having Filip in the home with me after has been huge.

I didn't take that for granted whatsoever.

I think all toughness stems from mentally,

and he's very much a mental guy.

I think all guys like that are essentially like that in hockey.

You have to be, I imagine, to play that sport.

♪ Baby ♪

♪ I am the cub who was washed out In the flood ♪

♪ When you love somebody ♪

♪ And bite your tongue All you get is a mouthful of blood ♪

[intense music playing]