NASHVILLE, Tenn – The Nashville Predators had all the answers Monday night in a 4-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Photo by Don.Haas@prohockeynews.com
The win ties the best-of-seve4n series at 2-2 and guarantees the series will return to Music city on Sunday.
As has been evident from the first three games of the series, the Predators were dominant throughout the game Monday and dictated much of the play with a fierce forecheck that kept the Penguins bottled up in their own zone.
Pekka Rinne made 23 saves to get the win and was stellar in the middle frame when the Penguins managed a series of breakaways and odd man rushes.
Matt Murray was weak to the high glove side for the second game in a row and appeared to slow and less mobile as the third period wore on; he made 23 saves in taking the loss.
Pittsburgh head coach Mike Sullivan thought the process was there for the Pens.
“It’s hard to win when you score one goal,” Sullivan said.
“We had a number of grade A opportunities,” he added. “We have guys who can finish and we need to stay with the process.”
Sullivan was asked about the contact Murray has received from the Predators but he was more focused on the outcome and said “it’s playoff hockey”.
Sidney Crosby tied the game 1-1 with a goal after being shut down in Game 3.
Photo by Don.Haas@prohockeynews.com
Nashville had taken a 1-0 lead earlier inm the first period on a goal from Calle Jarnkrok.
The second period was another big 20 minutes for Nashville as they struck for two goals in the middle frame to take a 3-1 lead into the final period.
The big score came on a delayed call as the goal judge did not light the lamp after the puck crossed the goal line. Play continued and video review proved the score by Frederick Gaudreau.
“Some of the goals tonight were preventable,” Sullivan said of the Predators’ production.
Viktor Arvidsson made it 3-1 at 13:08 of the second period.
Rinne made those two goals stand up in the second when he seemed to be stopping an endless series of breakaways from the Penguins.
“We have to go home and play the right way,” Sullivan said as the series heads back to Pittsburgh for Game 5 on Thursday.
Mike Fisher made a brilliant pass from his knees to Arvidsson for the third goal in the second period.
“Arvi is fast and he was gone, I just wanted to get it to him,” Fisher said.
Filip Forsberg scored an empty net goal from somewhere near Broadway and 3rd Ave in Nashville to seal the game at 16:37 of the final frame.
Photo by Don.Haas@prohockeynews.com
“We have to play better because it is not getting any easier,” Fisher said after the game.
Nashville head coach Peter Laviolette was clear in his post game comments that the Predators need contributions from across the bench.
He and the team got that in Game 4 with Jarnkrok and Forsberg kicking in goals.
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