The matchups
Breaking down the matchups of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators heading into the 2017 Stanley Cup final, which begins Monday night.
FORWARDS wards
Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson are two of the top budding stars in the game, but there is no comparison here when it comes to the elite difference makers up front that Penguins coach Mike Sullivan can throw out on the ice at any time. The Penguins feature four of the top six point producers in the playoffs including Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Phil Kessel and Jake Guentzel. Add to that the fact that the healing Patric Hornqvist could return to the lineup against his former team for Game 1, and the rich are seemingly getting richer. Edge: Penguins
Defence DEFENCE
Three of Nashville’s top six playoff scorers — Roman Josi, Ryan Ellis and P.K. Subban — are blueliners. And when you consider one of the other players in that top half-dozen — Ryan Johansen — is gone for the series with a thigh injury, you can see just how much the Preds rely on their back end for offence. The Pens deserve credit for overcoming the absence of stud defenceman Kris Letang, but we might still give the Preds the nod here even if Letang was playing. Edge: Predators
goal
Pekka Rinne is a favourite to win the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP, going 12-4 with a 1.70 goals-against average and .941 save percentage. Normally that would be enough to earn the edge here. But in Matt Murray, you have a kid that won the Cup a year ago and has stepped in to relieve Marc-Andre Fleury this time around to the tune of 3-1, 1.35 and .946. Edge: Even
Coaching COACHING
This is a cool matchup, the first time two American coaches have faced each other in a Stanley Cup final. The Preds’ Peter Laviolette led the 2006 Carolina Hurricanes to the Cup; the Pens’ Mike Sullivan did the same with last year’s Pens. Edge: Even
Special teams
Penguins — PP, 2nd (25%); PK, 8th, 85.5%)
Predators — PP, 12th (14.9%); PK, 4th, 88.1%)
While the two teams aren’t that far apart in terms of post-season penalty-killing numbers, the Penguins have a significant advantage in power play stats. With the likes of Crosby, Malkin and Kessel on the pp, why wouldn’t they? Edge: Penguins
intangibles
The Penguins know what it takes to win the Stanley Cup, having done it last season. They have two of the most talented stars in the game in Crosby and Malkin. Does it guarantee them anything? No. Does it give them an edge? Yes. Edge: Penguins