PITTSBURGH – It is 10 years to the day since Mike Fisher’s last Stanley Cup dream ended. Exactly a decade and here he is fighting for hockey’s ultimate prize yet again.

His is a story of persistence that resonates in our sport: Do things right, day in and day out for years, in hopes of the stars eventually aligning and the puck bouncing in your direction.

It didn’t work out for the 2007 Ottawa Senators despite Fisher playing well in the Final. He was slotted as a second-line centre then and remains a capable one now, playing an integral role as the Nashville Predators clawed back to even this series with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

This could be his last best chance to lift the Cup and he has plenty of former teammates pulling for him.

"It’s so tough to make it even to the Final so when you’re there you just want to leave everything out on the ice and then you’ll deal with the results later," former Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson told Sportsnet over the phone. "Mike’s been around a long time, he knows what it takes and I think he’s the perfect leader for that team."

It seems fitting that he would get to accept the trophy from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman if the Predators win their first title. Fisher now speaks with a slow southern drawl and is as Nashville as they come. He and wife Carrie Underwood are currently building a new home outside the city and plan to lay down roots there well beyond his playing career.

The Predators decision to name him captain after Shea Weber was traded to Montreal for P.K. Subban last summer was termed a "no-brainer."

"I think he’s done an amazing job," said coach Peter Laviolette. "He had good-sized shoes to fill, but Mike has always been a leader."

His touch for the job was evident back in September when the "C" officially got stitched on his gold sweater. They held a press conference at Bridgestone Arena that day and his whole family flew down for the event.

Sitting between Laviolette and general manager David Poile on stage, Fisher forecasted what was to come: "I look at our group of guys – young people, young men with a lot of talent – and I look at our fanbase and how excited I believe our city is and it’s a great organization. I believe that we can win the Stanley Cup here in our city."

Nine months on, they are achingly close to making good on his belief.

Fisher’s role has been elevated since Ryan Johansen was lost for the season and he returned from injury after the Western Conference Final. He’s largely drawn the Sidney Crosby matchup in this series and Nashville holds a 25-21 edge in shot attempts in the 25-plus minutes they’ve spent on the ice together.

Essentially, they are holding serve even though Crosby has had some big breakthrough moments.

Fisher is also contributing offensively with four assists against Pittsburgh after being held pointless in the 14 games he played before that. Teammates believe that drought was more about bad luck than poor execution.

"I don’t think it’s fair to judge a player based on the points all the time," said winger Harry Zolnierczyk. "Just the type of player he is, the type of player that we know him as, I mean he does a lot more than just put points up for us. It was only a matter of time."

Fisher plays all 200 feet and does it with determination. He can still get around the ice fairly well – he celebrated his 37th birthday with Monday’s 4-1 victory – and will win you a key faceoff in a big game.

Inside the Predators dressing room, he is viewed as a quiet leader who prefers to set an example with his work habits more than his words. The approach hasn’t changed much since he was a 19-year-old who jumped straight from the Sudbury Wolves to the Senators.

"It’s consistency," said Alfredsson. "You know you’re going to get 100 per cent work ethic every day, practice or games. But I think his game, too – at least I found anyways – was always more effective in the playoffs than maybe regular season, where it is more intense and a little more physical.

"He’s not a guy you count on to score every day but somehow he finds a way to score big goals."

The only goal of any meaning now is getting his hands on the Stanley Cup. Fisher’s contract expires this summer and it’s not known if he’s inclined to take Poile up on his open offer of a new extension.

The veteran acknowledged that the captaincy was an adjustment this season, especially when the team struggled early on, but all of that work paved the way for a special spring like this one.

"I learned a lot this year," said Fisher. "It’s probably the most I’ve learned, just about what it takes as a group to get everyone together on the same page. It’s been the most fun I’ve had, too."