Nashville Predators Win Western Conference, Head To Stanley Cup Final For First Time

NASHVILLE, TN — In the words of there-from-the-beginning play-by-play man Pete Weber: Go ape, Nashville. With a 6-3 victory in Monday night's Game 6 - paced by a hat trick from the unlikely Colton Sissons - the Nashville Predators won the National Hockey League's Western Conference Final four games to two and qualified for the first Stanley Cup Final in franchise history.

Qualifying as the Western Conference's eighth seed — and essentially the lowest-seeded team in the entire playoffs — the Predators run began with a shocking sweep of the Chicago Blackhawks followed by a six-game series win over St. Louis before the conference final against Anaheim, a series that saw the Preds overcome a playoff-ending injury to star center Ryan Johansen in Game 4.

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The Predators will square off against the Eastern Conference champion. The Pittsburgh Penguins lead the Ottawa Senators three games to two in their best-of-seven series. The Cup Final begins May 29 in the Eastern Conference city and will come to Nashville June 3 for Game 3.

See the entire schedule (times are still to be determined):

Game 1: Monday, May 29 at Pittsburgh or Ottawa
Game 2: Wednesday, May 31 at Pittsburgh or Ottawa
Game 3: Saturday, June 3 at Nashville
Game 4: Monday, June 5 at Nashville
Game 5: Thursday, June 8 at Pittsburgh or Ottawa
Game 6: Sunday, June 11 at Nashville
Game 7: Wednesday, June 14 at Pittsburgh or Ottawa