Predators focus on defense for Game 7 against Jets

NASHVILLE --The Nashville Predators have a blueprint of what their ideal defensive game looks like for Game 7 of the Western Conference Second Round against the Winnipeg Jets at home Thursday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVAS, SN).
That plan is being fast and tenacious in the defensive zone, suffocating in the neutral zone, and trying to keep the puck in the offensive zone.

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"Defense is what wins you championships," Nashville forward Ryan Johansen said. "You look at every team that's ever been successful in any sport, it hasn't just been offense. Defense needs to step up. It showed in Game 4 and Game 6. When we played great defense, we were very successful. We need to defend really hard, and then when it's time to go, it's time to go."
Nashville's two best defensive games of the series were a 2-1 win in Game 4 and a 4-0 win in Game 6. Each of those was played at Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg.
The Predators must figure out how to transfer those efforts to Bridgestone Arena, which can be challenging with the emotion that comes with playing in front of a home crowd in a must-win scenario.
"I think it's a different mindset," Johansen said. "I think as a Predator and playing at Bridgestone, you come to the arena and the atmosphere and the energy is remarkable. It's hard to stay level and keep your emotions in check because you've got some famous singer doing the anthem and you've got all this hype and you want to go out there and score a goal and you want to play offense.
"But you've got to make sure you're doing all the right things away from the puck and on the defensive side as well. I think that might be a reason we haven't played as strongly at home or whatever, but we just need to focus on our game [Thursday] and not worry about all the distractions from all those things."

The Jets have shown the ability to strike quickly in the series. The Predators believe if they try to play run-and-gun hockey, it will play into the strength of the Jets.
"It's a defense-first mentality," Nashville defenseman Ryan Ellis said. "I think if you look at the wins we've had, it's about the team playing really solid [defense]. It's not about run-and-gun with them. I think it's a dangerous game when you get to play run-and-gun with that team. For us, it's about being great defensively."
The Predators have performed well in high-pressure situations. They played arguably their best game of the series when facing elimination in Game 6.
"I think it's partly experience, what we went through last year, what we've been really going through in the last couple years of playoffs and fighting for our lives at times," Ellis said. "I think it comes back to the experience that we've gained over those last couple years just allowing us to be comfortable in those settings."