All-Star promise: Subban says Preds will win Game 3 vs. Pens

Nashville will get the next two games at home, but Game 3 is a must-win for the Predators or they’ll fall down a three-game hole to the defending Stanley Cup champions.

Guentzel scored on a long, juicy rebound of a Bryan Rust shot just 10 seconds into third period, the quickest goal to start a period in Penguins playoff history.

Then Rinne and the Predators started the third by giving up a goal 10 seconds in and two more 15 seconds apart in the first 3:28. And Waddell, the Tennessee man who threw a catfish onto the ice in Pittsburgh during Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, will not be charged with any crimes. The Penguins’ scoring outburst early in the third period led Nashville coach Peter Laviolette to replace goaltender Pekka Rinne and bring in backup Juuse Saros after Rinne had given up four goals on 25 shots. “If he plays the game the right way, winning puck battles, the wall plays, gaining lines, taking what the game gives you, then when the play is there his instincts will take over because he is a real talented kid”.

Then, just over three minutes later, the Predators had their second own-goal in as many games, when Vernon Fiddler’s skate knocked a bouncing puck through Rinne’s five-hole - the goal officially goes to Scott Wilson, but equal credit should go to Phil Kessel, who earned the assist for sneaking the puck into a unsafe position. Both teams will have two days to regroup and travel to Music City for Game 3, which will be at Bridgestone Arena on Saturday.

That game is Saturday night in Nashville, and Rinne and the Predators are counting on a big dose of energy from a wild fan base that will be seeing the franchise’s first Stanley Cup Final game at home. Sure, two of them deflected off defenders’ legs and another was a 5-on-3 goal, but clearly, Rinne has played his worst hockey of the postseason in these last two games. The Penguins lead the best-of-seven series 2-0. Guentzel now has 12 goals and seven assists in his first 21 National Hockey League playoff games after notching 16 goals and 17 assists in 40 regular-season National Hockey League games as he split the season between the Penguins and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL). The OCRegister wrote about the Penguins Game 2 victory and quoted Guentzel on his performance throughout these playoffs. We’re down 2-nothing. We’re coming back in our barn, and we don’t lose here.

The Penguins had a similar surge late in the first period of Game 1 when they scored three times in 4:11 to jump out to a 3-0 lead. The chasm between him and Pekka Rinne at the other end of the ice has been the most prominent reason why the series is going the way it is.

The Penguins and Predators could have the same lineups for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, two nights after a freaky start to the series that few could have expected.

It hasn’t been easy against Pittsburgh.

Rinne, who was last pulled on February 21, was mercifully replaced with Juuse Saros.

The game had an average audience of 3.278 million viewers on TV, which was up 27% from last year’s Final between the Penguins and the San Jose Sharks.

Rookie Matt Murray resumed his position as the Penguins’ No. 1 goaltender in the Eastern Conference Final against the Ottawa Senators and has been superb in the first two games against the Predators.

“Pekka has been excellent for us all year long, like I said”, he said.

The teams traded first-period goals, with Pontus Aberg opening the scoring with a beauty for Nashville. Guentzel, a native of Omaha, Nebraska, leads American-born rookie scorers in goals in one playoff season. Three minutes later he couldn’t handle a Scott Wilson rebound on a two-on-one that bounced in off teammate Vern Fiddler, off his hoof; and 15 seconds after that Rinne got beat clean by Malkin on a lovely shot on another two-on-one.

Just 15 seconds later, Malkin scored off a two-on-one, firing a flawless shot over Rinne’s glove for a 4-1 lead.

Lavoie pointed out how undisciplined the Predators have been, which contributed to Rinne’s struggles Wednesday night.