In the spring of 2017, with Ryan Johansen, Mike Fisher, and Kevin Fiala missing due to injury, the Nashville Predators were forced to ice Colton Sissons and Calle Järnkrok as their top two centers in the Stanley Cup Final. The referees’ input ranged from bad (a bad offside call in Game One) to atrocious (#SissonsScored). Pontus Åberg was a first-line winger. Pekka Rinne couldn’t stop a shot in Pittsburgh.
The Predators still came incredibly close to the first Stanley Cup championship in team history.