Pens blitz Preds in 3rd to grab 2-0 series lead
PITTSBURGH (CP) — A thirdperiod eruption knocked Pekka Rinne from the net and gave the Pittsburgh Penguins a 2-0 series advantage in the Stanley Cup final.
The Penguins beat Rinne three times in the first 3:28 of the third, scoring a 4-1 win in Game 2 over the Nashville Predators on Wednesday.
Jake Guentzel led the rally with the second of his two goals, Evgeni Malkin and Scott Wilson also finding the back of the net. Guentzel set a new rookie record with his fifth-game-winning goal of the playoffs and Chris Kunitz added two assists.
Rinne gave up four goals on 25 shots and was outclassed again by Matt Murray, who stopped 37 shots.
Pontus Aberg scored the lone goal for the Preds, who host their first ever Stanley Cup final game on Saturday.
The defending champs just got away with a win in Game 1 despite going 37 minutes without a shot. They came out quickly out in Game 2, firing five shots in the first six minutes with quality offensive zone pressure.
Nashville had a nervous moment at the midway point of the first
GOLF
The Lyle Lowenberger team logged a 121 to post a four-shot win at the Twin Lakes Golf Resort senior men’s day four-man team, best two net ball outing on Tuesday.
Other members of the squad were Alex Wilson, Red Bosscha and Grant Olson.
Taking second place at 125, by countback, were John Schneider, Ken Lintott, Dueane Sly and Jan Creighton.
Bob Biron earned closest-to-thepin on No. 2 and also shared the deuce pot with Tom Livingstone.
Livingstone had the long putt on No. 8, Larry Thompson on No. 14.
Meanwhile, the Twin Lakes fourth annual Senior Men’s Open in support of the Hospital Foundation will be held Friday, June 16, with a shotgun when P.K. Subban took a crosscheck to the neck from Kunitz. Down on the ice in obvious discomfort, Subban grabbed his neck and required attention from the team trainer when he finally returned to the bench.
The Preds didn’t score with their partial five-on-three advantage — Malkin also drew a questionable penalty for hooking — but they broke through with their first lead of the series on a goal from Aberg. The former second round pick out-waited Murray for the 1-0 lead.
The Pens struck back late in the period on yet another goal from Guentzel. The 22-year-old put a rebound through an opening between Rinne’s left arm and midsection.
Neither Malkin or Sidney Crosby had a shot after two periods.
None of that mattered when Guentzel struck again 10 seconds into the third, slamming home a juicy Rinne rebound.
Wilson upped the lead to two a few minutes later, finishing a rush with Kessel. The shot went off Predators’ skate and between the pads of Rinne, who gave up another to Malkin off the rush 15 seconds after that. start at 9 a.m. It will be a flighted format with cash prizes and raffles.
Find details online at www.twinlakesgolfresort.com /members.
––– Barb Gair and Ria Waldie topped their flights at the Penticton Golf and Country Club ladies’ Sweet 16 event on Tuesday.
Gair won the 0-25 handicap flight at 53, with Janice Clary, Judy Eathorne and Trish Debrisay finishing at 57.
Waldie won the 26-and-over flight at 52 with Susan Long second at 54.
––– The team of Gary Ellis, Ernie Peaker, Gary MacAdam and Tony Murray carded a 20-under score of 122 to win the Penticton Golf and Country Club senior men’s day Waltz tournament.
Finishing second at 124 were John Menu, Malcolm Clough, Larry Badger and Bill Hull.