All-Star guarantee
Subban says Preds will win Game 3 vs. Pens
A good night’s sleep has P.K. Subban more confident than ever about what the Nashville Predators will do on their own ice trailing the Pittsburgh Penguins 0-2 in the Stanley Cup Final.
He delivered an All-Star guarantee for Saturday night.
“There’s no question,’’ Subban said Thursday. “We’re going to win the next game, and then we’ll move forward.’’
Subban came very close to guaranteeing a win in the moments after Pittsburgh’s 4-1 win Wednesday night. The Penguins turned a 1-1 game into a rout by scoring three goals in the first 3:28 of the third period , forcing Nashville coach Peter Laviolette to pull star goaltender Pekka Rinne for rookie Juuse Saros.
On Thursday, the All-Star defenceman channeled Mark Messier, who backed up his own guarantee of a Rangers’ win against New Jersey in the 1994 Eastern Conference finals. Subban explained why he was so confident, noting the Predators know they deserve to be playing for the Stanley Cup.
“We’re capable of playing even better than we did in Pittsburgh, and I thought we played
some great hockey,’’ Subban said. “I mean, out of 120 minutes, maybe we’d like to take back six of them. Ultimately, we have to be realistic with where we’re at. We’re down 2-0. We’re coming back in our barn, and we don’t lose here. So it starts Saturday.’’
Laviolette gave no hint about whether Rinne will start Game
3, saying only that he will not talk about lineup changes. The Predators coach says his goalies know who will start.
Rinne went into the final with the stingiest numbers in net this post-season and a favourite to win the Conn Smythe trophy as post-season MVP. The 34-yearold goalie has instead given up eight goals on 36 shots through
two games. Two goals went off teammates and into the net, but it has not been the inspiring performance that the Predators and their fans are used to from the big Finn.
His save percentage has dipped throughout the playoffs — .976 against Chicago, then .932 against St. Louis and .925 in the West finals against Anaheim. Against the quick-strike Penguins, it’s just .778.
Still, the three-time Vezina Trophy finalist has allowed only 13 goals in eight playoff games at home and his teammates vowed to play better defence.
“It’s not his fault by any means,’’ Nashville captain Mike Fisher said of the goals allowed in Pittsburgh. “We know we can do a better job in front of him. It’s a team game, and everyone looks at shots and save percentage but forget about the quality and who we’re playing. And certain parts of the game where we got to help him out.’’
Defenceman Ryan Ellis, who has played with Rinne for six years, called the goalie Nashville’s best player, night in and night out.
“There’s nothing that can replace Peks,’’ Ellis said.
Returning home should provide a boost for both Rinne and the Predators. They are 7-1 inside Bridgestone Arena this post-season with the lone loss coming in overtime. They expect a loud arena for Game 3, which is the first Cup Final home game in Nashville history and it comes on a Saturday night.
“I’m sure they’ll hear the noise and the energy in the building,’’ Subban said of the Penguins. “It’s a fun atmosphere to play.’’