The old adage that a team is never out of a series until it loses at home proved true, and now the Stanley Cup finals is down to a best of three.

Leading into the game, Damien Cox said on Prime Time Sports that the Smashville environment wasn't all that unique, and he noted the rats in Florida, madness when Minnesota went to the Western Conference finals in 2003, and the ruckus Tampa crowds at the Thunderdome. Jim Hughson quickly thwarted the baloney and assured that the Nashville sporting experience was 100 percent unlike anything he had ever witnessed.

Like their fans, building and current playoff run, the Predators are a completely unique group. Without a true superstar or face of the franchise (P.K. Subban is neither), riddled with injuries and down and out after the first two games of the finals, Nashville is two wins from hoisting the cup. 12 Predators hit the scoresheet Monday, and not a single player posted a multi-point game. That's just so rare, and it's exactly why the Predators have been so successful.

Matt Murray saved just 40 of 48 shots over the past two games, and without high-end goaltending, the Penguins have struggled to win this spring. There weren't any weak ones Monday, either. Nashville just drove the net and scored three goals on the doorstep and sealed the game with an empty-net tally.

Pekka Rinne, on the other hand, saved 50 of 52 shots the past two games to backstop the Predators right back into the series. He's now sporting a .932 save percentage and 1.88 GAA during the playoffs, which includes incredible .949 and 1.44 marks at Bridgestone Arena. But it's just another sporting venue, right?

Game 5 is Thursday in Pittsburgh. The talking heads are going to drum up all kinds of stupidity leading into it, but hopefully the impact the Nashville crowd has had this spring isn't included.

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Dylan Strome is going to spend the summer in Arizona to train and prepare for his first professional campaign. He accomplished everything at the junior level this season expect winning the Memorial Cup and World Junior Championship — taking second place in each.

The Coyotes are looking for Strome to improve his overall strength, and specifically to improve his skating ability (explosiveness and overall speed). Strome added approximately five pounds over the winter while keeping in touch with Arizona strength and conditioning coach JP Major, and now the duo will be able to fine-tune an offseason training program to have Strome ready for training camp.

This is a situation to monitor over the summer and leading into our fantasy draft season. We're obviously not going to hear that Strome is slower, or that he's not in the best shape of his life. What we're looking for is offense in exhibition games, alongside coach speak that suggests Strome is going to be handed a go-to offensive role.

The Coyotes have the clientele to surprise offensively, so there could be more fantasy relevant players in the desert than there has been in years.

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Here is a quick read on Casey Mittelstadt. He's a quick-rising prospect that's already 6-foot-1 and 201 pounds. Our Dobber Prospects crew is pretty high on him, as well.

"Mittelstadt could be the prospect with the highest skill in the 2017 NHL draft and as such be the best fantasy option."

Peter also selected Mittelstadt third overall in the most recent staff mock draft and has him ranked third in his rankings. Here's Mittelstadt's profile.

Call me intrigued.

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The Vegas excitement is heightening (read more here and here), and considering the upcoming transactions will be unlike anything we've seen in decades (if not ever before), there are going to be significant fantasy ripples. It's also going to be absolutely amazing to see if there are lopsided and head-scratching deals that involve an unknown stipulation.

Or will those stipulations be transparent immediately? Will we know the exact specifics of why every pick and player was dealt?

The NHL has an opportunity to make this an amazing few weeks for fans, but there's a better chance that it turns into a three-ring circus. This isn't a poker game where you have to call to see your opponent's cards. All cards should be face up, and every transaction should be in the open, just like each team's protected list. If there is going to be collusion, require it to happen in plan sight.

Here's one scenario drawn up by Jeff Gordon with St. Louis offering a defense prospect and/or a draft pick to Las Vegas if the Golden Knights select Jori Lehtera in the expansion draft. However, at the same time, Las Vegas general manager George McPhee said that he's primarily focused on players who will be with the organization for three or four years.

There's a certain aspect of uncovering the angle and reasoning for each deal that would be fun and would generate a lot of talking points, but laying it all out in plan sight is in the best interest of the league. Thoughts?

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Tom broke down the top playoff-driven value changes yesterday, and one player that has stood out the past two games has been Craig Smith. He looks like he's a step quicker than most of the other skaters. This could be the result of playing just seven games and potentially being fresher. Assuming his undisclosed injury wasn't of the lower-body variety or an ailment that impacted his skating ability, of course.

Regardless, looking ahead to next season, Smith will be an interesting player. His point and goal totals have declined annually since posting 24 tallies and 28 assists during the 2013-14 season. However, he's a capable mid-line winger that posted a 7.7 shooting percentage during the regular season. The high-volume shooter could beef up his goal total through better efficiency and a few more shots.

And that leads to the other obvious factor that'll influence Smith's fantasy stock … ice time. He dropped to a career-low 13:49 per game last season. If he's doesn't receive a boost in opportunity, he won't bounce back. He's probably off the fantasy radar in most settings, but in deeper leagues, there is upside. Don't forget that he also has the potential to help across most rotisserie categories.

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Joe Haggerty of CSNNE is fired up about Anders Bjork, and the analyst views him as a potential top-six fit beginning next fall. Typically, this would be a little hyperbolic for me, but Boston green-lighting David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy when ready means Bjork has a shot if he earns the job.

Obviously, he'll have competition, as Danton Heinen and Jake DeBrusk are both coming off solid seasons in the AHL with Providence. However, Haggerty was pretty convincing in the video, and his lone job is to know what's to know about the Bruins.

Additionally, there could be two winger spots open in the top six. David Backes profiles best as a third-line center, and Ryan Spooner and Frank Vatrano aren't top-six locks, either. The Bruins have the Patrice Bergeron–Brad Marchand and David Krejci–David Pastrnak duos locked in, and the third wheel on each line will carry plenty of fantasy value. Those position battles will be important this fall.

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Until Game 5, enjoy the hockey talk, Dobberheads.