PITTSBURGH, PA – The Penguins escaped the Steel City after Game Two, lucky to lead the series 2-0. They never put up much of a fight in Nashville and ended up returning to Pittsburgh tied 2-2. Thursday night, the Penguins let everyone in the hockey world know they believe this Cup is theirs, when they defeated the Predators 6-0 to put them one win from their 5th Stanley Cup.
The game didn’t start out like the other two here in Pittsburgh. Nashville’s effort to dictate a style to their liking never got off the ground. Just fifty seconds into the game, Ryan Ellis was called for holding Sidney Crosby. That’s all the Penguins needed to take control.
Patience and some quick passing around the Nashville perimeter from Crosby and Patric Hornqvist eventually led to a goal by Justin Schultz. The sturdy defenseman wound and fired a blast while centered on the blue line and beat Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne clean, giving the home team the early lead.
Not long thereafter, the Penguins were at it again. With confidence in carrying the puck out of their own zone, Chris Kunitz accepted a lead pass in the neutral zone, crossed the line and found Bryan Rust easing into the slot. He accepted Kunitz’s pass, put the puck on his backhand and lifted it over Rinne’s glove hand, extending the lead to 2-0.
Photo By: Brianna O’Mara
As Nashville struggled to tighten up the spread Penguin attack, things turned physical, particularly an exchange behind the Pittsburgh goal when Sidney Crosby and P.K. Subban became entangled. Subban held Crosby around the legs while the Pittsburgh captain repeatedly pushed the star defenseman’s head into the ice. Nashville coach Peter Laviolette was livid coincidental minors were issued in a play where Crosby committed the more egregious acts.
With exchanges getting more testy during play and between the whistles, it seemed to give the Penguins more aggressive tendencies. This played out to their favor late in the period.
Photo By: Brianna O’Mara
Pittsburgh had shown a propensity to allow late-period goals in the series, but forced Nashville into a lapse leading to a late goal. In what began as an innocent play along the near boards after a Ron Hainsey advance out of the zone, Phil Kessel collected the puck along the near boards. He dished the puck off to Evgeni Malkin who turned in sent a nifty, high rising wrister past Rinne on the glove side to close the period on a dominating note.
Pittsburgh ended the period with a 3-0 lead despite the teams being tied in shots at 9 each.
The start of the second period brought with it a change in net for Nashville. After allowing 3 goals on 9 shots, the Predators, likely saving Rinne for Game Six, opted to install Juuse Saros in net. It took just over a minute for Pittsburgh to welcome him to the game.
Photo By: Brianna O’Mara
That’s when Crosby, while buzzing around the Nashville net like gnats at a Summer picnic, slid a slick pass to a waiting Conor Sheary in the slot. The young rookie, redirected the puck past Saros to make it redirected the puck past Saros to make it 4-0, a fitting way to celebrate his 25th birthday.
A little less than seven minutes later, Phil Kessel lit the lamp on a great passing play originated from Crosby with a final touch from Olli Maata. Ron Hainsey rounded out the scoring with a tip in off a Kessel / Malkin passing play. Hainsey advanced to the crease before tipping it past Saros.
Photo By: Brianna O’Mara
The third period offered little in scoring changes as the Penguins seemed content with the 6-0 lead and Nashville merely wanted to hang-on. That did not, however, stop the teams from scoring points in the physical play and intimidation score. After all, the Predators needed to get something out of it.
With a little more than eight minutes left in the game and to the right of the Pittsburgh net, frustration boiled over, beginning with a fight between Nashville’s Viktor Arvidsson and grisly veteran Carl Hagelin. Subban and Malkin battled and received roughing penalties.
Photo By: Brianna O’Mara
Perhaps what made the Penguins victory so cherished was the re-emergence of three star players who had been pretty much silenced until Game Five.
Sidney Crosby registered three assists and a +2 rating; Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist with a +2 rating; and Phil Kessel had a goal and two assists with a +3 rating.
A key contributing factor to Pittsburgh’s star players getting more presence on the score sheet was the ability of the defense to exit their own zone with clean breakouts, crisp passes and spreading the play up ice.
The Predators missed a golden opportunity to take control of the series, but failed and now head back home with no margin of error, needing to win both games to avoid elimination and win the Stanley Cup.
It is important to note that the team that has won Game Five after a split of the opening four contests of the Final has gone on to capture the Stanley Cup 17 of 24 times (70.8%) since the series adopted the best-of-seven format in 1939.
However, the club that has lost Game Five has rebounded to win the series in four of the past eight such occasions (all since 2001 – 2001 COL, 2004 TBL, 2009 PIT and 2011 BOS).
Game Six moves to Bridgestone Arena in Nashville Sunday night. The potential Cup-clinching night will take place on the same weekend as the CMA, country music’s biggest night.
If necessary, Game Seven is back at PPG Paints Arena Wednesday night. Both games start at 8:00 PM (ET).
Follow me at DMMORRELL and you can contact me at dennis.morrell@prohockeynews.com
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