panoo

Shawn P. Roarke | NHL.com Senior Writer
Mar 13, 2007, 9:59 AM EDT

With a League-leading and franchise-record 46 wins so far this season, the Nashville Predators realize they will be among the favorites when the Stanley Cup Playoffs start in mid-April.

But the veteran players inside the Predators' dressing room also know that regular-season accolades will mean precious little once the Quest for the Cup gets under way.

“It’s probably one of the most difficult things in professional sports to do,” says Paul Kariya, when discussing the possibility of claiming the Stanley Cup. “When you look at 82 games in the regular season to get to the playoffs and, then, however long it takes to win the Cup, it’s a grind.”

Kariya should know.

Back in 2003, the high-powered forward was one of Anaheim’s main offensive weapons in a spectacular run to the Stanley Cup Final, which was a back-and-forth, epic struggle with New Jersey. The Devils won Game 7, on home ice, to claim their third Cup since 1995.

Kariya and his Anaheim teammates had only heavy hearts and bittersweet memories to show for almost 10 months of pain and sacrifice. Today, however, Kariya says memories from that heartbreaking experience on the Continental Airlines Arena ice surface in June of 2003 remain, but are repressed for the most part.

“I’m not one to live in the past,” he says.

Yet, Kariya knows he will soon be paid a visit by his Stanley Cup memories as the regular season draws to a close and Kariya’s Predators begin what is hoped to be a long-and-winding run deep into the postseason.

“Certainly, when the playoffs start, (those memories) are something I can draw on to learn from that experience,” Kariya says. “Having gone through it before certainly helps.”

Nashville teammate Jason Arnott has not only gone through a long playoff run, but he has emerged victorious at the finish line. Arnott won the Stanley Cup with New Jersey in 2000. The big center scored the Cup-clinching goal against the Dallas Stars in double-overtime of Game 6 at Reunion Arena.

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