![]() However, that's still at least nine games without the skill of Forsberg in the lineup, something the Predators know they have to be prepared to deal with. Nashville only plays nine games until February, which would coincide with the low end of Forsberg's 4-6 week timetable, and only one of those games comes against a Central Division opponent. 10-14 and will then get another reprieve during the 2018 NHL All-Star Weekend from Jan. The Predators have their mandatory five-day break coming up from Jan. If there was ever such a thing as an ideal time to suffer an injury, however, this might be it. He's done that, so when you remove that from the lineup, it's tough. "Filip is a player we've counted on for a lot of years now to be a guy that leads us offensively. They always have been and they always will be."Any time you take a player out of the lineup like that, it hurts," Predators Head Coach Peter Laviolette said. They obviously taught me a lot of things, but I think just their endless support. I think they love it even more than I do to be here, and it's awesome. They're here in town right now, and it's just awesome to have them. "They've always been there since Day One," Filip said of his parents. Filip is thankful for the support he's always received from his family. Patrik and Carina Forsberg, Filip's mother, have been in Nashville for the past week watching the Predators play and spending time with their eldest son. On his first face-off in Nashville, he stood between, and Zetterberg told him 'Welcome to the League.' And that was a big thing for me." A lot of Swedish players like, of course they're finished now. "It's a little bit strange to see him playing against big stars we learned from back home in Sweden. Video: Forsberg juggles the puck in offensive zone Filip's journey from Ostervala, Sweden, to Nashville has been a dream come true for his family. Patrik sometimes still can't believe his son has become a star in the NHL. That's the most important thing for him." But when he grew up, he decided everything by himself and he just loves hockey and hates to lose. "Of course, when he was very little, he looked up to me. "Hopefully I've had some impact, but he has such strong emotions for hockey himself," Patrik said. He has 275 points (131 goals, 144 assists) in 353 NHL games and 42 points (22 goals, 20 assists) in 55 Stanley Cup Playoff games. This season, he leads the Predators with 14 goals and has 20 points in 22 games. Growing up watching his father play may have been where Filip's passion for hockey took off, but he has forged his own path since then. Like any kid, if I played good I heard that, and if I didn't play good, I probably heard that a little more." I was one of the best players on the team growing up, so it's not like he had to play me. "He might have been a little more honest on me sometimes, but at the same time, it's not like I got any privileges. ![]() Filip never had to worry about that when Patrik was his coach. Sometimes there's more pressure to perform and prove that the playing time you get is earned rather than given. It's not always easy being a coach's son. It's the most important thing to practice." If you don't work hard, you're never going to reach the top levels, first in Sweden and now over here. ![]() "Maybe it's because I cheated on that part myself when I was playing," Patrik said. Video: Forsberg collects the hatty for Preds Patrik always knew that Filip was talented, but he also knew that talent alone wouldn't be enough to get him to the NHL. ![]() That's obviously a mistake that he didn't want to see either of us do." He obviously had a lot of talent, but in his words, he wasted it by not working hard. He tells me all the time that he wishes he would have worked harder. "To this day, it's just to work hard," Filip said. When Patrik's playing days were over, he began to coach Filip and his younger brother, Fredrik, and instilled a message in them that has stuck with Filip ever since he was a child. He wasn't playing on the highest level, but it was still a pretty good level. We lived in Norway for a year when he was playing over there, and I remember a little bit of that. Same thing, I don't remember that but just seeing pictures. "Some if it is just the stories I've been told, but I just remember being at the rink and just watching the games," Filip said. That's where Filip's love of hockey began to take off. Patrik Forsberg, Filip's father, played Division 1 and 2 hockey in Sweden and spent one season in Norway during a career from 1987-88 until 2001-02.
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