The marathon is over. The Nashville Predators are back in the series.
The Predators have evened their best-of-seven second-round series with the San Jose Sharks at two-games apiece after Mike Fisher finally broke the deadlock with 8:48 remaining in the third overtime of an instant classic in these 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Fisher buried a rebound in front of the San Jose net to give the Predators a massive 4-3 win on home ice.
You're now watching the longest game in Predators history.
— Adam Vingan (@AdamVingan) May 6, 2016
Mike Fisher ended the longest game of 2016 #StanleyCup Playoffs at 111:12, giving @PredsNHL their first-ever postseason OT win on home ice.
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) May 6, 2016
The goal capped off a frenetic (and lengthy) overtime session that was nothing but utter chaos at times in the opening extra frame. By the end, Fisher was almost too exhausted to describe the winner. Can you blame him?
Twice, the Sharks, who could’ve put the Predators on the brink of elimination with a win, thought they had scored the winner. Joel Ward couldn’t quite bury a wrap-around attempt before just about every player on the ice, it seemed, converged in the Nashville crease -- some working to put the puck in the net, others working to keep the puck out.
The puck, somehow, never crossed the line, though some members of the Sharks raised their arms in celebration as if they had the decisive goal.
Later in the first OT period, the Sharks again thought they had won the game, only to have a lengthy and controversial review determine Joe Pavelski "...made incidental contact with Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne before the puck crossed the goal line, preventing Rinne from doing his job in the crease,” according to the league.
Adding to it all, the Predators were unsuccessful on two OT power plays. That opened the door for the Sharks, who were awarded power plays on two Shea Weber penalties in overtime but also couldn’t capitalize.
The Predators were less than five minutes away from losing this game in regulation, and going down 3-1 in the series, before James Neal tied it with 4:21 remaining.