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Vincent Man / The Daily Press
Sports - Friday, June 29, 2007 @ 10:00

Steve Sullivan scored a goal and an assist for the Nashville Predators in a 6-5 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 22.

The game turned out to be the forward's last of the 2006-07 campaign as back spasms relegated him to a spectator.

Watching his teammates finish the regular season with the second most points in the Western Conference proved difficult as Sullivan was not able to help his team in the playoffs.

"Obviously, growing up your dream is to make the playoffs and win the Stanley Cup," he said. "It's so hard to make the playoffs these days that just getting the opportunity to play in them is a great feeling.

"You only get a few chances to legitimately play for it and our team was a contender.
It was a team built for a run at the Cup this past season. So myself, not being able to play and other injuries to key players, it was hard to sit out and watch."

Nashville once again succumbed to an early playoff exit at the hands of the San Jose Sharks in five games, ending a season that saw the Predators narrowly edged by the Detroit Red Wings for the top seed in the West.

Sullivan racked up 22 goals and 38 assists in just 57 games this past season. He will have to wait until next season to hit the ice again.

In order to get there, however, he will need to strengthen his back. The Timmins native is undergoing rehab with a back specialist in Vancouver. Each session includes 45 minutes to an hour of manipulating back muscles, followed by an hour to an hour and a half of strengthening them in the gym, Sullivan said.

"It's a process that I need to go through to heal," he said. "Last year was last year. There's a lot of time from then until the middle of September when camp starts, so we're not too worried about that." The injury, nor the topic of the possible sale of the Predators, has swayed Sullivan much about his vision of returning to form next season.

"The last I've heard is that there is no binding agreement between (owner) Mr. (Craig) Leipold and Mr. (Jim) Balsillie," he said. "Mr. Leipold is still our owner.

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