Predators on brink as Rinne struggles again in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Matt Murray (30) and teammates celebrate their 6-0 win over the Nashville Predators in Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final, Thursday, June 8, 2017.

Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan confirmed that Matt Murray will be the team’s starting goaltender for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday at PPG Paints Arena.

Two consecutive victories don’t give coach Peter Laviolette belief that his Nashville Predators have momentum against the Pittsburgh Penguins going into Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Predators center Colton Sissons will be able to play in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final after the National Hockey League decided against suspending him. It may be because of the attention that his line mates Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin draw.

Pekka Rinne’s struggles in Pittsburgh have his Nashville Predators on the brink of elimination. “That means a lot to us, to play our best at home, in front of our fans”.

For Wilson, the wait goes back more than just four games. He was determined to have his “best game” and did so with two points alongside Kessel, who finished with three himself (one goal, two assists) in the win. Pittsburgh leads the best-of-seven series 3-2.

Ellis, who plays with Josi as Nashville’s top defensive pair, skated only 10 minutes, 44 seconds during the loss. Rinne gave up three first-period goals in Game 5 and didn’t return to the net for the second period. Not with Rinne 9-1 at home this postseason.

The final score from Pittsburgh: Penguins 6, Predators 0. Sissons was given a match penalty, triggering the review. He’s the team mascot whose picture is stuck on the Predators’ locker-room door, now with two bandages commemorating playoff-ending injuries first to forward Kevin Fiala, then center Ryan Johansen.

After two straight losses in Nashville, Pittsburgh blitzed the Predators with three goals in the first period to chase goaltender Pekka Rinne. Evgeni Malkin, who had gone without a shot in Game 3, had a goal and assist. The Penguins goalie, who had allowed nine goals combined in the last two games, rebounded in a big way by stopping all 24 Nashville shots.

Jake Guentzel also made some history when he picked up his 21st point of the playoffs, equalling Dino Ciccarelli and Ville Leino for the most by a rookie in a single post-season. Even though the game was over, Kessel responded, whipping a shot past Saros for his eighth goal of the playoffs that Crosby also assisted on.

Mattias Ekholm said everything is created to make opponents work hard and fellow defenseman Ryan Ellis noted that the hard work is required of the Predators, too.

“It’s just one of those things it slipped out of my hand”, Crosby said. It’s not going to happen. This would be the end for Fleury as Murray would go on to start the next eight games for the Penguins. But there’s still at least one more chance for the teams to provide a one-goal game or maybe even some overtime, which had been on pace to break the all-time record for a single postseason through three rounds. They could become the first team in 19 years – since the Detroit Red Wings – to win back-to-back Stanley Cups.

Not Crosby, who said Subban “likes the attention” and “wants to make stuff up”. “Our focus is really more concerned about just that one game in front of us”. Suddenly, he was getting power-play opportunity and killing penalties for the first time in the National Hockey League. It was the 60-minute effort the Preds needed to start the series in Pittsburgh when they outshot and outchanced the Pens in each of the first two games only to fall short. Despite playing on the same basic 200 foot ice sheet, the home teams have won every game in this series. Murray, on the other hand, is coming off two consecutive losses and has never lost three in a row since entering the National Hockey League.

The Predators know exactly what they need to do better against Pittsburgh.