Rockin’ night in Nashville
Rinne responds, offense erupts as Preds win to make it a series
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Pekka Rinne and the Nashville Predators are hard to beat on their own ice this postseason, and now they have added their biggest piece of franchise history yet: A victory in the Stanley Cup finals.
The embattled Rinne made 27 saves. Roman Josi and Frederick Gaudreau scored 42 seconds apart in the second period, and the Predators beat the Pittsburgh Penguins, 5-1, last night to pull within 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.
Credit Rinne for coming through with a very stingy performance, improving to 8-1 at home this postseason.
The Predators call the 6-foot-5 Finn their backbone, yet critics wanted him benched after looking shaky in the first two games in Pittsburgh, giving up eight goals on 36 shots. Coach Peter Laviolette benched him in the third period of Game 2 after giving up three goals in the first 3:28 of a 4-1 loss.
Josi also had two assists. James Neal, Craig Smith and Mattias Ekholm also scored for Nashville as the Predators worked out some frustration against the Pens.
“Like our team has done the whole playoffs against Chicago, St. Louis, Anaheim, we showed really good composure,” said Nashville defenseman P.K. Subban, who had predicted a win in Game 3. “We’re going to take that into the next game.” Game 4 is tomorrow night. Jake Guentzel scored his 13th goal this postseason and fourth of this series for Pittsburgh and now is one off Dino Ciccarelli’s rookie record of 14 in 1981 for Minnesota. Guentzel put the Penguins up 1-0 on their second shot with a wrister off a rebound of Ian Cole that beat Rinne just 2:46 into the game. Rinne stopped the next 26 shots for the victory.
Matt Murray extended his scoreless streak to 72:54 with the Pittsburgh goalie looking ready to notch his 21st playoff win. Then he gave up five goals in the span of 15 shots.
The Predators got it started with a three-goal flurry in the second.
Josi scored his sixth goal off a slap shot at 5:51, tying it at 1-1 and finally giving nervous fans something to enjoy. Then Gaudreau, who scored his first career NHL goal in Game 1, scored 42 seconds later to put Nashville ahead with his wrister from the high slot, taking advantage of a screen by Penguins defenseman Ian Cole to beat Murray gloveside.
Just after that go-ahead goal, the Penguins had a rush and Rinne made backto-back big saves. First, he stopped Phil Kessel’s wrister from the right circle. The rebound bounced back into the slot, and Rinne made a save on Chris Kunitz with an assist from Subban sliding over to help.
Neal made it 3-1 with 22.6 seconds left in the second, banking the puck off Murray’s left arm for his first goal in the series and sixth of the playoffs. Smith’s goal on a breakaway at 4:54 was his first of the playoffs, and Ekholm got a power-play goal with 6:50 left.
“We played some good hockey in those first two games, just a couple little breakdowns and they jumped all over us and it was in the back of the net,” Neal said. “It was a good job of limiting that tonight.”