PK Subban says Predators will right ship at home, win Game 3

At the age of 23, Murray has not shied away from the fact that he still gets butterflies before the start of a game. However, that won’t be possible if the Predators’ real problem – the play of goalie Pekka Rinne – is not corrected. Nashville must show the Penguins why they have been 7-1 at home through these playoffs by getting off to a quick start and having their fan base behind them. “He was playing a lot of minutes”. He got the Predators to this point and went into the series as an MVP favorite, but allowed four goals on 11 shots in Game 1 and then got the hook in Game 2.

Penguins forward Jake Guentzel has tied Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against Nashville at 1-1 late in the first period. “You can’t even put into words what it feels. And certain parts of the game where we got to help him out”.

“Obviously, it’s very disappointing right now”, said Rinne. You look back and say you had to score there.

But Pittsburgh is not Chicago.

Carrying that momentum into Nashville is task No. 1 for Pittsburgh, which will rest up and travel to Tennessee for Game 3, the Music City’s first Stanley Cup Final game.

The result was the kind of up-and-down play that showcased the speed on both sides and included more than a dash of antagonism, particularly early.

Fifty teams have taken a 2-0 lead since the final went to a best-of-seven format in 1939. “We’ve just got to focus on those things that we can control, and that’s going to be our competitive level, our attitude, our execution, all of those things within our control”. Game 3 is Saturday night at 8 PM. After Malkin’s goal, Rinne’s night was over and Juuse Saros was called in to finish up the game between the pipes. The Penguins have only blown two 2-0 series leads in their franchise history and none since 2000.

Guentzel is making a more than impressive case for the Conn Smythe trophy. “We’re looking at ourselves”. They came out quickly out in Game 2, firing five shots in the first six minutes with quality offensive zone pressure. For one, they actually put pucks on the net.

Pittsburgh’s offense is lethal, and though it can go dormant (see: 37 minutes without a shot on goal in Game 1), the Pens’ rapid-fire goals can strike at any moment - often one soon after another. The Preds have played well in all … but about four of them in each game. “Then, we’ll go from there”.

A crowd decked in yellow and waving similar coloured towels howled as Rinne’s night came to an end.

The main reason the Predators have fallen behind 2-0 this series to the Penguins is the subpar play from goaltender Pekka Rinne.

Still, it was a goal that Rinne should have had. To be blunt, Murray has been as brilliant as Rinne has been awful.

In Game 2, though, Laviolette had seen enough.

Guentzel tapped home a loose puck under the left arm of Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne at 16:27 of the first.

Rinne kicked a Bryan Rust rebound to the slot where Guentzel scored his 12th of the playoffs and second of the game.

Coach Peter Laviolette pulled him after the Pittsburgh Penguins scored three goals in the first 3:28 of the third period and broke open what had been a close, tense affair. Nobody scored in the second period, though Nashville had the better of the play.

“It’s not the situation we wanted coming here”, said Rinne. Two Stanley Cup Final games later, and it’s widely apparent that he hasn’t. That’s it. It’s done. “I think he’s had an opportunity to get a little bit of a second wind”. But that could be a good thing.

Scott Wilson and Evgeni Malkin followed with the other two third-period goals.

“No, I can’t translate for you”. Subban said, “We’re extremely confident in him”, and maybe they are. “So, we definitely need to clean that up and just be consistent from puck drop to the end of the game”. “That’s going to continue every time he’s out there”.