We are here to present you a story of two hockey players’ lives, as they journey through life in the NHL. From the Prime Video television series “Faceoff”, we at Last Word On Hockey present you with a deeper look into the stories behind the main characters of each episode. Today we feature the second episode of the series, As Tough As It Gets. We chronicle Filip Forsberg and Jack Eichel, as they each battled very different injury recoveries, to show the physical and mental toll of what it takes to be professional athletes.
Faceoff on Prime Video: Season One, Episode Two Review
The show opens with Filip Forsberg receiving acupuncture. The commitment of time and physical sacrifice, to put your team ahead of yourself, it shows in the face of Forsberg as he has his head down on the table.
As the opening of the show continues, it periodically cuts to clips of physical plays in games that Forsberg engages in. From the introduction for the show, if you haven’t figured it out for yourself, hockey players are a different breed. As the intro concludes, the audience is left with the question, “Why is it worth it?”
From Small-Town Sweden to Nashville, USA
In an interesting connection to episode one, but they discuss Forsberg coming from a hockey-crazed, small town in Sweden. It was Sodertalje for William Nylander and David Pastrnak that they met. Meanwhile, Forsberg played professional in Leksands as a 16-year-old. Moreover, as he moved to North America and came to Nashville, Tennessee, it isn’t hard to see he quickly embraced the lifestyle. He has the best mustache, not unlike the image of a cowboy riding on horseback. But what takes the cake, is that he even married an American country music star. Forsberg and Erin Alvey wed in July 2022.
One of his best memories was of the 100,000 people packed on Broadway in Nashville, back in their 2017 Stanley Cup Final run. Roman Josi takes time to reminisce of when Forsberg had initially arrived in April of 2013. To playfully quote Josi, “Oh my god, this guy is so skilled.”
His reputation as an NHLer is one of skill, and of course, toughness. Back to acupuncture treatments, and the reason for it was rehab on an injured ankle from blocking a shot. Furthermore, he wasn’t even practicing throughout the regular season, as a result. Josi joked that he would often give him a hard time for that, you know, skipping practice.
Eichel’s Story and How he Ended Up in Las Vegas
Then, the story shifts to Jack Eichel. People may remember the story, of Eichel getting stripped of the ‘C‘ with the Buffalo Sabres. Once he lost the captaincy, it kind of signified the end of his time in Western New York. Eventually he gets traded to the Vegas Golden Knights. The reason? They allowed him the opportunity to receive a procedure that had never previously been done on an NHL hockey player. It had been done on other professional athletes, however. That’s why Eichel’s insistence on the surgery. The fusion surgery to repair a cervical herniation in his neck.
The ultimate redemption comes, as Eichel shows up in Las Vegas and wins the Cup. Not only did he win the ultimate team prize, but led the entire playoffs that postseason with 26 points.
Vegas’ savvy as an organization led by president of hockey operations George McPhee, takes the mentality they do whatever it takes to win. That’s how guest host Jackie Redmond explains. Having the initiative to trade for Eichel, do the surgery, and then go on to victory, is the perfect display of that.
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Noah Hanifin was a Team USA and Boston University teammate. He was there when Eichel won the Hobey Baker as a freshman in his draft year. Quite a rare achievement. Having a close friend sharing in the victory, makes it all the better. Hanifin was only acquired around the trade deadline, leading up to the championship run.
The Cost of Winning
When we jump back to Forsberg, we realize that Erin is pregnant, and due around playoff time, for the 2023-24 playoffs that is. Needless to say, it is a stressful time. Forsberg has family and friends for one game, and it is one of the only times Erin remembers seeing him fight. However, with the baby on the way, she is definitely not to keen on that idea, and tells him no more fighting. Can you much blame her?
The previous year for Forsberg had ended with a concussion. It just really shows from a wife’s perspective, the heavy, emotional toll. She even went as far as describing as a nightmare.
The Streak, Nashville Style
When we get back to the on-the-ice stuff, the Dallas Stars demolish the Preds 9-2 on home ice. It causes Nashville general manager Barry Trotz to cancel a pre-planned team trip to a U2 concert at the Sphere. Incredibly, over the next two months, the Predators responded in an unimaginable way. They go on an 18-game run not be forgotten, with a 16-0-2 record.
This is where the two teams intersect. Nashville’s amazing stretch had put them into playoff contention, up into the Western Conference Wild Card positions. The game, that ends up as number 18 in their run, was 4-1 for Vegas after two periods of play. Then, Nashville storms back, led by Forsberg’s three points, to win 5-4 in overtime. How fitting for the show to intersect the players’ paths.
Then, we lead up to the playoffs themselves. Filip and Erin emphasize the routine of what it takes to be a professional athlete or any entertainer for that matter. Filip himself is a creature of habit or perhaps even superstitious. In any case, he wakes at 8:08 a.m. every game day, and puts his skates on 7:07 p.m. Erin says it is at the level of a Groundhog Day-type scenario. Everything is coordinated and great thought put into your actions.
It’s Playoff Time
As for Vegas and Eichel, they battled a very much back-and-forth first round playoff series. After initially getting up 2-0, Dallas rung off three victories to take a 3-2 series lead. Moreover, Vegas battled back to force Game 7 versus Dallas. Late in the second period of Game 7, with the game tied 1-1, Eichel misses an open net on a play on his backhand. As they head to the third, the game remains tied 1-1. Then, not even a minute into the final frame, Radek Faksa fines twine on the backhand. Vegas tried, but the Stars’ defence turned out to be too strong.
Dallas would hold on to the third period lead, securing the 2-1 victory. As we head into the Golden Knights locker room postgame, the tone is one of disappointment. They truly believed they were going to beat Dallas, and go on another deep run. You know, go all the way. However, it wasn’t to be, and the next we hear from Eichel is from his New Hampshire beach house. You get the sense of what it means to lose, and why 31 teams feel like they failed every year.
For the Playoffs, It All or Nothing
The ending to the Preds campaign was a little more anti-climatic. The Vancouver Canucks did away with Nashville in six games. In the series clincher, Pius Suter scored the lone goal with just under a 100 seconds remaining. It wasn’t to be Forsberg and his Predator teammates. Again, we see the pain that comes with losing. The loss stings. As Erin explains it, see tries to paint the picture that it feels like the first time, everytime.
Of course, everything comes full circle. The loss almost ends up as a blessing in disguise. About a week later, Erin gives birth to her and Filip’s first child. Now, rather than being fully focused on Hockey, Filip is able to be there in those important first days.
What the story laid out, for both Eichel and Forsberg, was the physical and mental toll injuries, and hockey in general can have. Having friends and family as support, and realizing there’s more to life than hockey, makes winning all the more sweeter.
Main Photo Credit: Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images
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