Nashville's Gaudreau needs no space to find room on biggest stage
ByReuters
Published 06/06/2017 at 05:24 GMT
June 5 (Reuters) - Unheralded Nashville Predators rookie Frederick Gaudreau does not have a stall in his team's dressing room but that has not prevented him from making a surprise impact in the Stanley Cup Final.
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Gaudreau netted the game-winner on Monday to level the best-of-seven series with the Pittsburgh Penguins at 2-2 and in the process became only the second NHL player in history to score his first three career goals in a Stanley Cup Final.
An undrafted free agent playing in only his sixth playoff game, Gaudreau was a recent call up to the Predators lineup due to injuries and with the locker room already at capacity, only has a chair and small cabinet to his name.
"I could be sitting on the floor and I would take it," Gaudreau, 24, told reporters. "I'm just happy to be here. I don't really care about the stall, to be honest."
Gaudreau went scoreless in nine regular season games with Nashville and spent most of the campaign at Milwaukee in the American Hockey League.
He earned a call up to the playoffs after Predators forward Ryan Johansen was injured during the NHL's Western Conference Final and has not missed a step since.
His latest goal came on a solid individual effort when he stuffed home a wraparound attempt but the goal was only awarded after a random horn sounded 35 seconds later to stop play and initiate a video review.
With the goal, the Canadian joined Johnny Harms of the 1944 Chicago Blackhawks as the only players to score their first three NHL goals in the league's title series.
"Clearly the stage is not too big for him," Predators forward Mike Fisher said.
"It's been unbelievable for us, the way he's come, he's been so good. Timely goals, composed. You know, he definitely belongs. He's been a huge part of our success."
Gaudreau never made much of an impact in the junior ranks but has made a quick impression on the game's biggest stage and Predators coach Peter Laviolette said the player deserves all the credit.
"When you start the way he did, having to work for everything, literally every contract and every opportunity, improve yourself. At this level, it's no different. That's on him," Laviolette said.
"That speaks to Freddy, to be honest with you. To be able to take the road that he has, come out on the end, be a contributing player in the Stanley Cup Finals." (Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by John O'Brien)
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