Guentzel’s pair spark Penguins in Game 2 victory
Rookie now has 12 goals in these playoffs, including game winner against Preds
PITTSBURGH— Big hits, big plays, bad blood and an emerging star.
No catfish made it to the ice surface, but yes, the Stanley Cup final has kicked into high gear as a tepid Game 1 gave way to an energetic and edgy Game 2 with rookie Jake Guentzel’s star continuing to rise.
And the Pittsburgh Penguins — on the strength of a pair of goals from Guentzel — beat the Predators 4-1on Wednesday, taking a 2-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup final, with Game 3 set for Saturday in Nashville.
Guentzel’s second of the game — his second game-winner in a row — and 12th of the playoffs broke a 1-1 tie just 10 seconds into the third period, opening a floodgate of goals that chased Pekka Rinne from the game. Scott Wilson got credit for a goal that went in off Vern Fidder — shades of a similar goal in Game1— at 3:13. Then Evgeni Malkin rifled one past Rinne at 3:28 that ended the goalie’s night.
The game out of hand, P.K. Subban and Malkin got into a fight midway through the third as the bad blood that had built up in the first two hard-fought periods boiled over in the third.
Rinne had come into the Stanley Cup final with the best goalie numbers in the playoffs, but he’s allowed eight goals over two games — just 36 shots — and looked shaky even when he was making saves.
But Guentzel has emerged as a true star. Guentzel had gone eight games without a goal, and was almost scratched in Game 1. But he got the game-winning goal Monday and moved up from the fourth line in Game 2.
A former third-round pick — who was once Phil Kessel’s stick boy — joined was called up to the Penguins in November, and scored twice in his first NHL game. He finished the year behind only Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine in goals (16) and points per-game (1.21) among rookies.
He’s now second among rookies all time in scoring in a single playoff season, passing both Brad Marchand (11 in 2011), Jeremy Roenick (1990) and Claude Lemieux (1986). Dino Ciccarelli’s 14 set in 1981 is in his sights.
The native of Omaha, Neb., also passed NHL record for a U.S.-born rookie in a single post-season, surpassing 18 points in 1982, equalled by Roenick in 1990.
Rinne had been looking for a bounceback performance personally after allowing four goals on 11 shots in the first game, the Predators were counting on their own resiliency. They hadn’t lost two in a row in the play- offs until now.
“Resiliency. Character. Those are a lot of big words, but it truly is that,” said Rinne. “Everybody buys into the team, buys into our systems. We play for each other. It’s been an amazing post-season for us. There’s a lot of trust in this locker room.”
They’ll have to draw on that in Game 3, using building on the enthusiasm of their raucous home crowd.
If there was a mismatch — on paper, anyway — it was at centre ice. The Penguins have two of the best in the game, with Crosby and Malkin. The Predators’ best centre — Ryan Johansen — is injured.
“We’re by committee,” Predators coach Peter Laviolette said before the game.
“I think if you look at the lineup, we’ve tried to put four lines out there that can play. That gives us the confidence, I think, within sight of a matchup, especially on the road, to be able to play those four lines, know that we’re going to be OK.”
The first period ended 1-1 but was a microcosm of Game 1. Nashville worked hard for their goal while Pittsburgh simply got lucky. The Predators dominated play, outshooting Pittsburgh 18-12 — the Penguins matched their entire shot output of Game 1.
The first goal was a beauty, Aberg slipping the puck between the feet of Olli Maatta and deking Murray, drawing him down and out of position, and flipping the puck over him. Murray was otherwise terrific, the only reason Nashville wasn’t running up the score.
At the other end, Rinne was OK, but Pittsburgh’s goal — an opportunistic rebound from Guentzel — squeezed through Rinne between his body and his arm
The first period was also penalty filled — five minors — with a number of questionably legal hits, including one from Chris Kunitz on P.K. Subban and another from Matt Irwin on Matt Cullen.