Cup questions: How does Nashville deal with mismatch in the middle?
The Stanley Cup final begins Monday, with the Nashville Predators seeking their first title and the Pittsburgh Penguins are looking to win back-to-back Cups. Here are some of the burning questions: á Will Sidney Crosby add to his
hardware haul? Crosby has won two Stanley Cups, two Olympic gold medals, the World Cup, a world championship and a world junior championship. He’s also earned two Art Ross trophies, two Hart trophies, a Conn Smythe and a World Cup MVP. There isn’t much left to check off on his ledger, except helping the Penguins to the NHL’s first back-toback Stanley Cups since 1998. It’s hard to believe he’s still only 29. á How will the Predators cope with lack of centre depth? Let’s get this out of the way: With Ryan Johansen hurt, the Predators don’t have a centre capable of matching up with the Penguins’ top two. It’s one thing to be able to handle Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler for a few games, but it’s another thing to corral the best player in hockey, Crosby, and another top-five centre in Evgeni Malkin. Crosby and Malkin have size, but they rely on skill more than the Ducks’ top two. Whether it’s Colton Sissons, Frederick Gaudreau, Calle Jarnkrok, Vernon Fiddler or Mike Fisher, Nashville will need a group effort. That’s been integral to their playoff DNA thus far. á Can Pekka Rinne really lead this
charge? The 34-year-old has enjoyed a bit of a bounce-back this season, and he’s taken his game to another level in the playoffs in posting a .941 save percentage. But his best round was the first. He has also never played in a Stanley Cup final while his opponent, Matt Murray, has the experience from last year’s title. The Predators need Rinne more than ever. á Will we finally see a nearly healthy Penguins team? By this time in the post-season, every team is beat up, but the Penguins have been especially so. They’ve missed key pieces — Kris Letang, Carl Hagelin, Justin Schultz, Patric Hornqvist, to name a few — throughout. But they’re getting as dangerously close to full strength as they can be: Letang won’t be back, but Schultz and Hagelin returned in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final and Hornqvist seems close. That can’t be good news for the Predators.
á Who is the next to play hero? The Penguins have eight different players with game-winning goals, and none of them are Crosby or Malkin. The Predators have received game-winners from 10 different players, and none from leading scorer Filip Forsberg. Perhaps the next hero will be one of the coaches — Nashville’s Peter Laviolette or Pittsburgh’s Mike Sullivan — both of whom have been masterful in the playoffs.