Playoff Veteran James Neal Brings A Lot To The Table

Hockey is the ultimate team game and when a group of players combines to have a playoff season, rarely can this success be pinned on one player. Still, when the same guy keeps on showing up in the postseason - some conclusions about such a player get drawn.
James Neal, dating back to his junior playing days, has missed the playoffs just four times. That's 15 seasons combining major junior, the AHL and the NHL culminating in 11 postseason appearances. Nearly 8,000 players have suited up for games in NHL history and Neal ranks 460th in Stanley Cup playoff games with 90. And at 30, he's still climbing.
Neal has 28 goals and 51 points in his NHL playoff career and last spring made the Stanley Cup final as a member of the Nashville Predators.

Now skating with the Vegas Golden Knights - Neal is back in the Western Conference Final for the second year in a row.
Here's our chat with James Neal:
Thoughts on why your teams always make the playoffs…
I'm obviously surrounded by great people and great players so obviously that helps a lot. I think the competitive drive that you have in yourself, you want to be the best. You want to be on the best team. You try to bring your work ethic and I would say maybe lead by example. Try to do the right things. If you do that and control what you can control others follow. So, I think it's a combination of all of those things.
Thoughts on 90 career playoff games as something to be proud of…
Yeah, it's something to be proud of. I think it's kind of something that you can maybe look back when you're done and say it was a good achievement. I think right now I'm kind of in the moment and each year I want to make the playoffs because I want a chance to win the Stanley Cup. Every year you get closer and you get a taste of winning and you see how fun that is, how much fun you have with the guys you're playing with. I think if you ask anyone and put kids aside and wives, family, put that aside, I think this is the most fun and exciting thing that can happen in your life, is winning in hockey. You put all the work in, you put all the sacrifices and everything you've done from a little kid and what your parents have done to put yourself in this situation. It's an exciting time and you want to stay in that moment and do everything you can to win a Stanley Cup.
Thoughts on how you raise your game in the playoffs…
I think you want it to be noticeable. Sometimes you're going to be in tight games and that showed right through the first round, just with the one-goal games. You're not always going to have the goals or the points but I think you want to be a guy that's on the scoresheet every night just with having physicality noticed, having your shots noticed. That stuff adds up and will get you to scoring the big goals. You want your play to be noticed throughout your teammates and I think when they're working hard and being physical and doing the right things. These are games you have to win. A lot of them are do or die and they put you in the right situations to move on in the series. You want to do everything you can to give yourself a chance to win and be there for the guys you're playing with and the guys you're sitting next to.
Thoughts on how mistakes cost games…
Yeah, for sure. I think I was a little disappointed with myself even though we still won the game, after game five. Little penalties, you know. Things you learn being in a lot of playoff games and going through a series. Little penalties hurt you and I think I'd say momentum carries over game to game. Sometimes a team wins and they have the momentum, but they sit back and they find themselves on the losing end of a game. I'd say it carries over more shift to shift and power play to power play. Stuff like that. You need to be really aware of what you're doing and every little play matters. I preach that to our guys and I think we've been really good at having that discipline. I love the way we played the first two rounds and I think we've grown a lot. We're going to continue to grow and learn more about our team and the guys we're playing with. I love our consistency so far.
Thoughts on what it would be like to play Nashville in the Western Conference Final after they left you unprotected…
It's a hard question to answer. I never want to pick a team or whoever wins the next game wins the next game so it's fine. Anytime that you get left unprotected by a team or a team trades you or what not, lots of guys have gone through that thing. You always want to go back and you always want to prove yourself against your old team. You want to play your best and show them what they're missing and ultimately beat them. It's always a weird thing, it's kind of tough to describe the emotions that go into it but I would say I'm a little bit more experienced in that as I've gone with a team that traded me in Pittsburgh and going back there for the Stanley Cup Final. It's a tough way to do it, but I think as you get older and mature and grow your game, you can learn and get better from it. If that's the way things turn out, there's no group of guys to go battle with than the group of guys in this room. It'd be a lot of fun going at it and trying to beat the Nashville Predators.
Thoughts on playing in the final four for the second year in a row…
It's special. It's hard on the body but I think if you do everything you can and take care of yourself and do the right things, you're going to feel good going into these situations. This year, knock on wood, last year I was playing with a broken hand so that was really tough to do. You want to be able to help the team more and more. In some situations, it was hard to do. This year I feel good. We've been lucky enough to have some great rest and great time off in between series so it's given us a chance to get our bodies back to par again and get rid of those bumps and bruises that happen throughout playoffs. I think our group is feeling really good. It's special especially with everything that went on this year and what went on with the expansion draft, and then us just being the first team in Vegas, the first pro sports team in Vegas. With us coming together and becoming a team. It's a pretty special year for everybody. Then being able to go back to the final four is a great accomplishment. That being said, we're not done left. We have a lot of hockey left and can't wait to get started. I'm excited with how we've been playing.
Thoughts on if you'll watch game seven of the Winnipeg/Nashville series…
Yeah of course. I'm a hockey fan myself, I love watching hockey so regardless of if it was Nashville or not, there's nothing better than a game seven in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I love being a part of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, I love playing in it, it's always fun watching. Especially if you're looking to see who you're going to play. It'll be an exciting game tomorrow and especially going to Nashville, it'll be a crazy atmosphere.
Watch Party: A watch party for the first game of the Western Conference Final will be held at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center presented by the D Las Vegas on Saturday, May 12. Puck drop for game one is set for 4 p.m. PT, and fans are encouraged to arrive early.
Those in attendance will have the chance to win a variety of Vegas Golden Knights prizes. The events will feature special appearances by Chance, the Golden Aces, Knight Line presented by Drumbots and the Golden Knight. Fans will have the chance to shop Golden Knights gear from retail trucks on-site. Fans will view the game on a 72-foot screen with stadium sound. Activities include corn hole and a shooting cage with on-site food trucks and beverages. Seating is first come, first served. Guests can reserve tables that hold 4-12 people or a private cabana by
clicking here
.