Penguins get taste of Smashville in Game 3 loss

By Kevin Gorman

http://triblive.com/sports/

June 4, 2017

Colton Sissons #10 of the Nashville Predators watches the puck go over goaltender Matt Murray #30 of the Pittsburgh Penguins on a goal by teammate Roman Josi #59 (not pictured) during the second period of Game Three of the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Final at Bridgestone Arena on June 3, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The streets of Smashville were packed with people eager to enjoy their first taste of the Stanley Cup Final, courtesy of a Predators' playoff run expected by no one outside of Tennessee.

If you were wondering how Nashville became Smashville, we all found out Saturday night when the Predators pounded the Penguins, 5-1, in Game 3 of the Cup Final inside a boisterous Bridgestone Arena.

“You could just feel the buzz,” Predators winger James Neal said, adding it carried from the streets onto the ice. “The hockey world is starting to see it.”

You would never have known the Predators were trailing the Penguins, 2-0, in this best-of-seven series, given the excitement before the first Cup Final game played here since the NHL awarded this city an expansion team in 1998.

This is a country music town, first and foremost, one that showed off its star power with Alan Jackson playing a free concert on Broadway and Martina McBride singing the national anthem.

Even a pair of Pittsburgh favorites — Hank Williams Jr. and Styx — turned on the City of Champions.

Williams Jr., who was part of the Steelers' 75th anniversary celebration, waved a rally towel to fire up the crowd before the game. At the first intermission, Styx played a trio of songs, including Renegade, which has become an anthem for the Steelers.

Awesome as the atmosphere was — just as loud here as it sounded on your TV — it had nothing to do with the outcome.

More so than their music, the Predators proved they could play championship-caliber hockey. The sweetest sound was the goal horn.

“It's an exciting atmosphere,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “We were well aware of it going in. Our guys were excited to play here. It's a great hockey city. There was a lot of energy in the building. I don't think it had an impact on how we performed.”

Despite the amped-up crowd, the Predators didn't score the game's first goal. That was a gem by the Penguins' Jake Guentzel, the rookie winger who scored his NHL-best 13th tally of the playoffs for a 1-0 lead at 2 minutes, 46 seconds of the first period.

But the Penguins didn't score again, as star centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin both failed to register a shot on goal and the power play went powerless.

The game, and perhaps this series, changed in a span of 42 seconds. That's how long it took between Roman Josi's tying power-play goal at 5:51 of the second period and Frederick Gaudreau's go-ahead goal for a 2-1 lead.

“They were down 2-nothing, and they wanted to play better. I don't think that's overly profound. We've got to respond better,” Penguins defenseman Ian Cole said of the series. “We try to play inside the glass, not what's going on outside the glass. What's going on outside shouldn't matter.”

Just for good measure in this tale of turncoats, Neal scored for a 3-1 lead with only 22.6 second left in the second period. The Predators weren't done, as winger Craig Smith added a breakaway goal for a 4-1 lead 4:54 into the third and defenseman Mattias Ekholm made it 5-1 with 13:10 left.

By that point, the roof was ready to blow off this barn.

“They're a loud crowd,” Guentzel said, “so we've got to handle it next game and be ready for it.”

Smashville showed that it was ready for the Cup, even if it didn't show much Southern hospitality.

Kevin Gorman is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at kgorman@tribweb.comor via Twitter @KGorman_Trib.

MORE PENGUINS/NHL

Penguins fall flat in Game 3 loss to Predators 

Penguins' Matt Murray unfazed by his career-worst playoff performance

Plus-Minus: Predators 5, Penguins 1, Game 3, Stanley Cup Final 

Penguins notebook: Nick Bonino out for Game 3; Carl Hagelin returns

Live at Game 3: Predators 5, Penguins 1 final

PREDATORS FINALLY GET REWARDED FOR BEING THE BETTER TEAM, GET BACK IN SERIES

By: Ken Campbell

http://www.thehockeynews.com/

June 4, 2017

Craig Smith #15 of the Nashville Predators celebrates after scoring a third period goal against Matt Murray #30 of the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game Three of the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Final at the Bridgestone Arena on June 3, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

NASHVILLE – If the Nashville Predators can pull off the improbable and come back to win the Stanley Cup, they may very well be able to pinpoint the 8:12 mark of the second period as the precise moment in time the tide turned. Because it was exactly at that moment that they got their goalie back.

First, the backstory. The floodgates opened for the Pittsburgh Penguins at the 10-second mark of the third period of Game 2 when Bryan Rust put a shot off Rinne’s pad, with the rebound coming out to Jake Guentzel, who scored to put the Penguins ahead in the game for good. After the game, the Penguins almost bragged about it being a set play, one they work on all the time. Fast-forward three long, agonizing days for Rinne, with his team ahead 2-1 and the Penguins pressing. This time it was Phil Kessel who directed one off Rinne’s pad right to Chris Kunitz, but Rinne was ready for the rebound and robbed Kunitz, prompting defenseman P.K. Subban to get really excited and say a very bad word.

Neither Rinne nor Subban would say exactly what was said. At least Subban didn’t get close enough for Rinne to smell his breath. According to Subban, Sidney Crosby pointed out to him that his carbon dioxide output was offensive.

“Usually when guys chirp after the game or during the game it’s usually about your game or something personal, but he went on to tell me that my breath smelled bad,” Subban said. “I really don’t understand why because I used Listerine before the game, so I thought my breath smelled great.” Rinne, for his part, stepped up for his teammate’s sense of oral hygiene. “He’s a classy guy,” Rinne said of Subban. “He flosses every day.”

The Predators could afford themselves some comic relief after putting some juice back into the series with their play. For the third straight game, they were indisputably the better team on the ice. The differences in Game 3 were that Rinne was much, much better, they had some bounces go their way and coach Peter Laviolette’s lineup changes had the desired effect. It seems that only one goalie at a time in this series can have a good glove hand going. The Penguins repeatedly exploited Rinne high to the glove side in Games 1 and 2, while three of the five of Predators’ goals in Game 3 came on Matt Murray’s glove side.

Chalk that up to a bad game for Murray, who had exhibited an uncanny penchant for rebounding from sub-par performances. Of more importance to the Penguins would be the fact that their three best offensive players – Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel – were rendered impotent. Crosby and Malkin did not have a shot on goal between them, in fact Malkin didn’t even register a single shot attempt. Kessel had three shots, including a meaningless breakaway in the last minute.

A lot of that had to do with the Predators, who claimed in the three days between Games 2 and 3 that all they had to do was clean up some things in their own end and be a little sharper and their fortunes would change. And, boy, were they right. The Predators stymied the Penguins and their formidable transition game at every turn and made a power play with Malkin, Crosby and Kessel look inept. The Penguins couldn’t even get a decent zone entry on their power play, one that has gone 1-for-13 in the series, with the only goal coming on a 5-on-3 situation.

“We have to be better,” said Penguins coach Mike Sullivan. “We’ve got to execute. I don't think we’ve executed as well with what we’re trying to accomplish against the type of penalty kill that we’re up against.
 So moving forward, we’ve got to find a way to have more success. We’ve got capable people. These guys are real good players. They’ve been good for us here all year long, all playoffs long. I know they’re going to be a difference here for us moving forward.”

They had better be, and the Penguins, who have really played only two good periods in this series, had better start asserting themselves. This has nothing to do with momentum, which might be one of the most overrated factors in playoff hockey. It means nothing. What is far more meaningful is that for large swaths of this series, the Predators have been the better team and sooner or later, that has to become a deciding factor. It may have done so already.

“I don’t think anything really changed for us. We stuck to the game plan,” said Subban, who came through with his guarantee the Predators would win Game 3. “I thought we played a full 60 minutes…Geez, it’s tough, if you’re going to give up odd-man rushes to the defending Stanley Cup champions, they’re going to bury you and they did a good job of that in the first two games. But I thought we did a better job today of making sure we had our F-3 and when we pinched the walls we had support.”

Translation: the Predators were all pulling at the same end of the rope. They were rewarded. Their fan base, which is simply unmatched in zealousness, was rewarded. And now they’re back in the series. This thing is finally getting interesting.

Nick Bonino's block, resilient return showed that scrappy Penguins are more than just a finesse team

Tal Pinchevsky

http://www.espn.com/nhl/

June 1, 2017

Nick Bonino #13 of the Pittsburgh Penguins reacts on the ice after blocking a shot during the first period of Game Two of the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Final against the Nashville Predators at PPG Paints Arena on May 31, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennslyvania. (Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images)

PITTSBURGH -- Don't dare call the Pittsburgh Penguins a finesse team. It's not just that they resent being characterized as one. It's also wildly inaccurate.

Yes, the talented defending Stanley Cup champions are led by three of the game's biggest stars in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel. That talented trio has contributed plenty of offense during Pittsburgh's latest postseason run, as has super rookie Jake Guentzel, who leads the league with 12 playoff goals. But superstar flash alone isn't what has helped Pittsburgh build a 2-0 series lead against the Nashville Predators in the Stanley Cup Final heading into Game 3 on Saturday night at Bridgestone Arena.

"I think we're a scrappy group," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said after Pittsburgh's 4-1 win in Game 2. "It's not always pretty, but this group is resilient. We're competitive."

That scrappiness may have been encapsulated Wednesday night in Pittsburgh by a single play. With 9:32 remaining in the opening period and the game scoreless, Penguins center Nick Bonino helped kill Nashville's 4-on-3 advantage after simultaneous penalties to Chris Kunitz and Evgeni Malkin were followed 58 seconds later by an interference call on Predators captain Mike Fisher. Crouching down to cover as much ice as possible, Bonino took a P.K. Subban slap shot off his left foot. The shot, courtesy of a player known throughout the league for his ability to fire rockets from the point, left Bonino face-down on the ice.

After being attended to by Penguins training staff, he hobbled off the ice with the help of his teammates before limping to the locker room. Every indication was that Bonino -- Pittsburgh's most reliable penalty-killing forward and a clutch playoff performer whose six career postseason game-winning goals match the totals of Alex Ovechkin, Ryan Getzlaf, Logan Couture and Jeff Carter and exceed those of Anze Kopitar, Patrice Bergeron and Nicklas Backstrom -- was the latest victim in the Penguins' seemingly endless stream of injuries this season.

Bonino exited the game in agony, but was back before the end of the period.

"He's an inspiring guy for our team. He plays his best when the stakes are high, he's a great shot-blocker and he's a brave kid. When he comes back on the bench I know it gives our whole bench a boost," said Sullivan. "Those are the types of plays that help teams win, especially at this time of year. That was a big part of the game for us."

For all the talent and flair this team has demonstrated, the Penguins would prefer to think of Bonino's block and his subsequent return as the moment that best reflects their team's personality. Heading into Game 3 in Nashville, Pittsburgh is first in the league this postseason with 372 blocks, 66 more than the second-ranked Ottawa Senators. That statistic isn't tilted by the number of games the Penguins have played this season. Among the 16 teams that qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs, Pittsburgh ranked third, with 1,307 regular-season blocks. Among that same group of playoff teams, they ranked fourth during the regular season, with 2,060 hits.

Even with supremely talented players who are capable of making moves most NHL players couldn't even dream of, these plays -- the courageous block, the big hit, the extra reach to keep a play alive or start a rush -- are the ones that get the Penguins' bench going.

Sullivan likes to call them "thankless jobs," and they're the driving force behind a team that is two wins shy of winning its second consecutive Cup title.

"Obviously we love to see our guys score goals and make pretty plays. With the culture we have in this room, I think everyone is just as excited, if not more excited, for when guys block shots, take hits to make plays or get pucks out of our zone along the wall," said defenseman Ian Cole. "We feed off that."

That "scrappiness" that Sullivan covets isn't just about how his players sacrifice themselves on the ice. It's also about the way his players respond when teammates go down. And for the past two months, they've been dropping like flies for the Penguins.

The empirical evidence that the Penguins have provided throughout this Cup run suggests that Pittsburgh could have overcome Bonino's absence had he not returned. A quick look at the team's injury ledger since mid-April clearly shows that.

Since the eve of the postseason, the Penguins have dealt with:

• The announcement that franchise defenseman Kris Letang had undergone neck surgery and would miss the playoffs.
• 
  
• Defenseman Trevor Daley missing the last two games of the second round with a lower-body injury.
• 
  
• Forward Kunitz missing the opening round.
• 
  
• Goaltender Matt Murray missing the first two rounds of the playoffs.
• 
  
• Defenseman Justin Schultz and forward Bryan Rust both exiting Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals before missing multiple games with injuries.
• 
  
• Forward Patric Hornqvist missing almost the entire conference final.
• 
  
• Crosby missing Game 4 against the Washington Capitals -- which Pittsburgh won -- after hits from Ovechkin and Matt Niskanen left him concussed and inspired pandemonium-level debate across the hockey world.

So losing Bonino really would have just been the latest addition to Pittsburgh's postseason triage unit. But Bonino wasn't having any of it, and instead returned to the ice and led all Penguins players with 11 faceoffs won and a 61 percent success rate on the draw. Just another typical performance for the gutsy Penguins.

"That's the kind of dedication this team has to win," said Murray. "It shows the commitment of this team to win. That's sacrificing your body for the good of the team. It gives a huge boost of energy to everyone on the team and everyone on the bench as well."

PENGUINS WON'T BE INTIMIDATED BY RAUCOUS ATMOSPHERE IN NASHVILLE

By: Ken Campbell

http://www.thehockeynews.com/

June 2, 2017

A general view of the outside of the Bridgestone Arena prior to the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Finals on June 2, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Getty Images)

NASHVILLE – It takes a lot to throw the Pittsburgh Penguins off their game. They are, after all, the defending Stanley Cup champions. To be sure, it’s going to require more than flying catfish and the odd chant of “It’s all your fault!” if Matt Murray allows a goal or, “If you’re crappy and you know it, ice the puck!” when they send the puck down the ice to get the pressure off.

The Nashville Predators have done an outstanding job of creating a cult atmosphere for games at Bridgestone Arena and the result is a soccer crowd-like ambiance. But rather than be intimidated by the prospect of playing in that bedlam, the Penguins plan to go right into the belly of the beast.

“I think it’s something our guys are excited about,” said Penguins coach Mike Sullivan. “It’s a fun environment. It doesn’t get any better. I think players love to play in buildings that have tons of energy. I know our guys are looking forward to the opportunity. I think we’ve got to embrace it.”

If you’re looking for white noise, there’s an awful lot of it to be found in Nashville. Every other tour bus contains a bachelorette party. (Apparently Nashville is to bachelorette parties what Las Vegas is to bachelor parties in this part of the world.) The entire downtown seems involved in one big Stanley Cup final party and country music star Alan Jackson is slated to perform a concert before Game 3 on Saturday. And Predators defenseman P.K. Subban added to the frenzy by guaranteeing a Predators’ win in Game 3, then doubling and tripling down on his prediction.

“When we’re playing our best, no one can beat us in this league,” Subban said after the Predators practiced Friday. “I’m confident that tomorrow, like I said, we’re going to win and then we’ll move forward from there. With our building and our fans and the city the way it is, we have to bring our best game tomorrow and we all know that in this dressing room.”

Again, though, what else is he going to say? And even if he’s wrong, it’s not as though there will be any recriminations for him. It makes for a great sound bite, but in the end it’s completely inconsequential. Or as Penguins goalie Matt Murray put it: “What happens outside the glass once they drop the puck really should have no impact.”

There is one way the Penguins can turn this to an advantage and that would be to get the crowd out of the game early with a couple of demoralizing, soul-crushing early goals. And that’s entirely possible the way Pekka Rinne has played so far in this series. One way to do that would be for the Penguins to capitalize on the power play. So far in the series it is just 1-for-10 in more than 15 minutes of power play time with the only goal of the series coming on a 5-on-3.

“That probably starts with me maybe winning a few more faceoffs,” said Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, who won just 10 of 29 draws in Game 2. “I think that would go a long way as far as getting possession. It really comes down to execution. We have guys out there who can make plays and are capable and when there is a mistake, we have to find a way to make a play and get a chance.”

As far as playing in front of a hostile, animated crowd, the Penguins are used to doing that. The crowd at the SAP Center in San Jose last year was deafening during the final and the Penguins managed to win two games there, including the one in which they clinched the Stanley Cup in Game 6.

“This is the best time of the year to play and this is the best environment to play in, when there’s a lot of buzz and a lot of energy in the building,” Sullivan said. “As a player, as a team or as a coach, any of us who are associated with the Stanley Cup final, you can’t help but get excited by the types of environments that these guys are playing in.”

One player who might not get to experience the whole thing is third-line center Nick Bonino, who didn’t practice with the team on Friday and was seen entering the Penguins’ hotel in Nashville in a walking cast. But that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s definitely not playing, after all, he continued to play the rest of Game 2 after taking a Subban shot to his right foot. Should Bonino not be able to play, the general sentiment is that Carter Rowney would drop to center the fourth line and Carl Hagelin would draw into the lineup.

Late sub Diaz has 1st homer, 6 RBIs as Pirates top Mets 12-7

By Jake Seiner, The Associated Press

http://www.espn.com/mlb/

June 2, 2017

Pittsburgh Pirates' Elias Diaz (32) connects for a three-run double against the New York Mets during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Friday, June 2, 2017, in New York. (Julie Jacobson/AP)

NEW YORK -- With catcher Francisco Cervelli feeling ill and ace Gerrit Cole struggling again, Pittsburgh needed a boost at the plate.

Elias Diaz had just the thing for the ailing Pirates.

"Big shot in the arm," manager Clint Hurdle said.

Diaz hit his first major league homer and drove in six runs as a late addition to the lineup, lifting the Pirates over the New York Mets 12-7 on Friday night.

Diaz hit a go-ahead, three-run shot off reliever Paul Sewald (0-1) during a seven-run sixth inning. Pittsburgh led 11-7 when New York finally retired the side, a swift reversal after the Mets went up 7-4 with a five-run fifth.

Diaz also had a three-run double off Matt Harvey in the fourth. The rookie catcher got the start when Cervelli was scratched just after batting practice, about 30 minutes before the first pitch.

"Those two big swings, that's a night he'll never forget," Hurdle said.

Diaz entered 2 for 12 in six games this season and had just one RBI in a three-year career hampered by injuries.

He had the ball from his first homer in his locker after the game.

"I'm going to keep it with me, right there," Diaz said through a translator.

Lucas Duda hit a pair of upper-deck homers for New York, and Michael Conforto added his 14th of the season. Each team hit three home runs.

The Pirates bailed out Cole (3-5) on another rocky night for the right-hander. He allowed seven runs and eight hits, including three homers, over five innings. He's allowed 16 runs and eight homers over his past three starts.

Diaz's bases-loaded double was a liner off the wall in left-center, and his homer was a low drive that easily cleared the wall in left.

"I was screaming like, `Get up! Get up!" teammate Josh Bell said. "Then I look, and I'm like, `That ball doesn't need to get up at all. It's already out.' He hit that ball on the nose. Really impressive. We were all freaking out for him."

Diaz also began an inning-ending double play on Harvey's bunt in the second, deftly springing for the ball in front of the right-handed batter's box to begin the 2-5-4 effort.

Diaz had the first six-RBI game for Pittsburgh since Neil Walker -- now with the Mets -- on Sept. 23, 2015, at Colorado. He batted with a runner at first in the ninth but struck out.

Pittsburgh matched a season best with its 12 runs.

NEW YORK MESS

Harvey was charged with six runs in five-plus innings, and New York (23-30) tied a season worst by falling seven games under .500.

"Right now, it seems like when we start a game, we're not sure what we're going to get," manager Terry Collins said of his pitching staff. "And that's not a real good feeling."

Sewald yielded five runs and five hits while getting only one out in the sixth. The homer by Diaz was the first allowed by Sewald in his big league career. He'd given up three runs total over his previous 20 innings, providing needed stability for New York's beleaguered bullpen.

"Today was tough," Sewald said. "You try and regroup every hitter. `Now, let's get this guy.' I just had a tough time getting through."

LUMBERING LUCAS

Duda's first homer was a two-run shot in the second inning that landed roughly 10 rows into the second deck. His solo homer in the fifth was a few rows deeper and estimated at 426 feet by Statcast.

Duda has six homers in his past nine games and 10 overall. He has 118 with the Mets, tying Ed Kranepool for 10th in team history.

BELL HOP

The upper-deck shots by Duda weren't the longest in this slugfest. That honor went to Josh Bell, whose 10th homer of the season was projected at 441 feet to right-center leading off the Pittsburgh sixth.

J-HEY, TOO

Pittsburgh's Josh Harrison hit a solo homer in the eighth, had three hits and also made a spectacular catch in the sixth. The second baseman tracked Conforto's popup into right field and caught the ball over his left shoulder while sliding to the ground.

GIFT GONE

The Pirates optioned infielder Gift Ngoepe to Triple-A Indianapolis about a month after he debuted as the first African-born player in the majors. The slick-fielding South African singled in his first plate appearance, but batted .222 without a homer in 28 games prior to the demotion.

Pittsburgh also designated rookie infielder Alen Hanson for assignment and recalled infielders Max Moroff and Phil Gosselin.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Pirates: RHP Jameson Taillonpitched five innings in his second rehab start with Triple-A Indianapolis. Taillon is returning from surgery to treat testicular cancer.

Mets: LHP Steven Matz (left elbow) and RHP Seth Lugo (right elbow) will each make their fourth rehab starts Saturday. Matz is with Triple-A Las Vegas, and Lugo with Double-A Binghamton.

UP NEXT

Pirates RHP Tyler Glasnow gave up five runs in five innings to the Mets in a 7-2 loss Sunday. Mets RHP Robert Gsellman (3-3, 5.75) has dropped his ERA by a full run over his past two starts.

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Follow Jake Seiner on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jake-seiner

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More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

Penguins put Predators in Pekka trouble

By BRUCE ARTHUR

https://www.thestar.com/sports/

May 31, 2017

Pekka Rinne #35 of the Nashville Predators leaves the ice after being removed from the game during the third period in Game Two of the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on May 31, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

PITTSBURGH—It was then-Ottawa coach Paul MacLean who said a few years ago, “They should rename the game of hockey and call it goalie.” Through two games of the Stanley Cup final the Pittsburgh Penguins have been hanging on, leaning back on the ropes, as George Plimpton once wrote of the rope-a-dope, like a man leaning out his window trying to see something on his roof. It’s not that they don’t throw punches; it’s not that they don’t have knockout power. That, above everything, they have.

So yes, the Nashville Predators have dominated five-on-five, dominated territory. Yes, they have been the better team. But they lost Game 2 by a score of 4-1, and trail the series 2-0, and it was like watching Ali come off the ropes. The Predators now have to win four of the next five games to win the Stanley Cup, and that’s all.

“We don’t lose in our building,” said Nashville defenceman P.K. Subban, who fought Evgeni Malkin in the third period. “So we’re going back home, we’re going to win the next game, and then we’ll see what happens from there.”

Guarantees in sports are ridiculous because nobody can guarantee a damned thing, and besides, it would mean knowing Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne isn’t in the middle of a collapse. In Game 1 he was beaten clean by Malkin on a power play, had no chance on a Conor Sheary goal, sent what should have been an easy rebound into a teammate’s leg for the third goal, and was beaten clean by Jake Guentzel for the winner. Pittsburgh had 11 shots on Rinne, and scored four times.

Well, through two periods of Game 2 Sidney Crosby and Malkin didn’t have a shot on goal, and the Predators were controlling 64.7 per cent of the shot attempts at five-on-five, and the shots Pittsburgh did get were distant, helpless. Matt Murray was keeping them in the game because the second-year goaltender is as steady as they come, and big besides. It was 1-1 because Nashville’s Pontus Aberg scored a beauty, and Guentzel snuck a rebound through a crack in Rinne’s body, between his torso and his arm. But the Predators were in near-complete control. It was absurd.

And then Crosby won the opening faceoff in the third, and Rinne sent a rebound of a Bryan Rust shot out like a pinball flipper and Guentzel buried it. Three minutes later he couldn’t handle a Scott Wilson rebound on a two-on-one that bounced in off teammate Vern Fiddler, off his hoof; and 15 seconds after that Rinne got beat clean by Malkin on a beautiful shot on another two-on-one. The Predators came apart some after allowing that second goal, and Pittsburgh ran them out of the building. Rinne came into the series with a .941 save percentage in the playoffs, and was pulled for backup Juuse Saros.

“I treat this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said the 34-year-old Rinne. “I’ve played a long time, and the first time having a chance to play for the Cup, so I just think you have to bury these two games and move ahead, and just find a way to find some success.” Asked whether his confidence was intact, Rinne said, “Of course, when you lose a couple games and get pulled you’re not happy how things went, but you’ve got to put those things behind and focus on the things you can control.”

He has allowed eight goals on 34 shots in two games; the Predators had 38 shots on goal in Game 2 alone. Given two opportunities to commit to Rinne for Game 3, including one direct question, Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said, “Pekka’s been excellent for us all year long” or a variation, and didn’t say yes. Laviolette is famously secretive, of course, so it might mean nothing.

What doesn’t is that Rinne is the weak spot, and this is how Pittsburgh wins. With No. 1 defenceman Kris Letang gone midway through the season, they finished 14th in shots for and against at five-on-five; going into Game 2 Wednesday night, Pittsburgh had the second-lowest percentage of five-on-five shot attempts of any team in the playoffs at 46.9 per cent, which in the regular season would make them the 29th-ranked team in hockey, and then it got worse. Bad or even average possession teams so rarely win the Cup now: Boston was 14th in 2011 with one of the great goaltending performances in history; Pittsburgh, in 2009, was 19th with Crosby and Malkin. Every other champ since 2008 has been top four.

So you talk to the Penguins, and they sound like Phil Kessel’s 2013 Leafs, who finished last in puck possession and reached the playoffs in that 48-game season.

“Yeah, I think . . . when teams start peppering us, we do a really good job of keeping the shots to the outside, and we limit the quality scoring chances,” said winger Bryan Rust.

“I mean, (analytics are) a part of it now,” said Crosby. “I think it serves a purpose, I don’t know if it tells the whole story, but if you see or evaluate things a certain way, sometimes it can confirm or deny what happened out there. It plays a part, but I’m not probably maybe as big on it as other people.”

In this case, you can see why. This Penguins team has elite offensive talent, and a goalie. Guentzel went eight games without a goal and still leads the playoffs with 12 goals in 21 games; Malkin leads the playoffs with 26 points in 21; Crosby and Kessel are at 22 and 20 in 20 and 21 games, respectively. They are four of the five top scoring players in the playoffs. If this is rope-a-dope they are the knockout power, and it was Crosby’s faceoff win that started the second goal, Kessel who set up the second, Malkin who scored the third. Crosby’s line got caved in all night, and the Penguins won going away anyway.

So the Predators said they could have been better, all of them, and Rinne said his confidence was undamaged, and now they have a mountain to climb. Subban said, “We’re extremely confident in him,” and maybe they are. Goalies go up, and goalies fall. The Predators can continue to dominate this series with their peerless back four and their aggressiveness, and they can get back into this series.

But for Pittsburgh this isn’t Columbus, the victim of a gentleman’s sweep despite outshooting Pittsburgh; this isn’t Washington, which eventually succumbed to its own internal demons in Game 7; it’s not Ottawa, which Pittsburgh solved as the series went on. This is a team that has to play now with the knowledge that if the Penguins get a chance there’s suddenly a hell of a chance it’s going to go in. The Penguins have leaned on the ropes, dodged the punches, and knocked the Predators flat. Now we see whether they get off the mat.