Home-ice advantage

Murray perfect as Penguins rout Predators 6-0

Sidney Crosby has the Pittsburgh Penguins on the verge of back-to-back Stanley Cups.

Crosby set up three goals as Pittsburgh stomped Nashville 6-0 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup final on Thursday.

Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel were among the six different goal-scorers for the Penguins, who are now one win away from becoming the first repeat Cup winner in almost 20 years.

Justin Schultz, Bryan Rust, Conor Sheary and Ron Hainsey also found the back of the net in the decisive win and Matt Murray pitched a 24-save shutout, his third career in the playoffs.

Pekka Rinne got pulled after giving up three goals on nine shots with Juuse Saros faring no better in yielding three on 15 shots.

All five games of the series have been won by the home team with Game 6 Sunday night in Nashville.

After dropping Games 3 and 4 by a combined 9-2 margin, the Penguins came out like a bunch determined to wrestle back control of the final and inch one step closer to backto-back Cups.

No team has managed the feat since the Detroit Red Wings emerged in 1997 and 1998.

Their efforts started with Crosby, who broke through the Nashville defence on the very first shift of the game and hit a post.

The captain drew a penalty on the play and with the ensuing power play, set up Schultz for a point blast that sailed through the pads of Rinne – this after only 91 seconds.

Pittsburgh looked hungry and controlled the puck almost exclusively in the opening half of the period.

True to Crosby’s pre-game wishes, they soaked up plenty of offensive time and had their second of the night before seven minutes had passed with Rust beating Rinne with a backhand off the rush.

Rinne had been maybe the biggest reason for the Preds winning the previous two games.

The 34-year-old was especially sharp in Game 4 – notably denying Crosby on his second breakaway attempt of the game. Rinne had struggled to start the series in Pittsburgh though, pegged for eight goals on only 36 shots at PPG Paints Arena.

By the end of the 20 minutes, he’d allowed three goals on only nine shots with Malkin adding the third marker with 10 seconds left.

Rinne was replaced to start the second by Saros, who was making only his second appearance of the playoffs.