Why Game 7 between the Sharks and Preds is must-see hockey

After a most-convincing and dominant full 60 minutes in Game 5, the San Jose Sharks looked like they were primed to end their series with the Nashville Predators after taking a 2-0 lead to open up Game 6. Then the Preds dug deep, turned the tables and forced a Game 7 with a 4-3 overtime victory.

Clearly, Nashville isn’t going down without a fight. But the Sharks still have a chance to bounce back in epic fashion Thursday in San Jose. In a wild and entertaining series matchup, Game 7 between these two might be the best yet.

Star-studded offenses on both teams have given the each team's blue line a run for its money. For Nashville, it has been continued goal-scoring from James Neal and Mike Fisher, along with a head-turning playoff performance from Colin Wilson. For San Jose it has been a spectacular series from Logan Couture, epic passes from Joonas Donskoi and captain Joe Pavelski finding the back of the net at the most clutch moments. (And that’s just a couple players from each roster who have put their marks on this round.) Each team does best when its “top guys” put points on the board, and each team should rise to the occasion come Thursday evening.

Goaltending has been equally as captivating. Martin Jones and Pekka Rinne bring identical .913 save percentages into the final game of the series, each tallying crucial saves throughout the current playoff campaign. The Finnish vet and the first-year starter could very well be the biggest factors in which team takes Game 7 at the Tank.

Then, there’s the home record. Home-ice advantage has reigned supreme during this round — interesting for a Predators team that had trouble winning home games in Round 1 and a Sharks team that struggled in its home barn during the regular season. Having a the final game back in San Jose also bodes well for the Sharks given that they are 5-4 all time in Game 7 scenarios, per Kevin Kurz of Comcast SportsNet California.

But with how well-matched the Sharks and Predators are, this promises to be a nail-biter no matter which team comes out on top. Sharks coach Peter DeBoer told the media after Game 6:

“Based on how the series has been played, this should come down to one game. A Game 7. And that’s what hockey’s all about.”