Oh yeah. This is still happening and you might as well just lean into it. I’m riding this whole Stanley Cup thing right to the bitter end, which will at least be two more games between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators.
I’ve learned more about hockey over the last two weeks than I ever wanted to and any sense I make during the live blog is completely accidental. The Pens lead the series 2-1, and have one more game in Nashville before heading back to Pittsburgh for Game Five on Thursday.
As always, scroll on down for the live blog. Keep reading for the press release from the NHL.
After a historic Game Three went in favor of the home team, the Nashville Predators will try to replicate their efforts and tie the Stanley Cup Final at two games apiece tonight at Bridgestone Arena.
Down two games to none in the Final entering Saturday night, the Preds punched a 5-1 victory to claim their first Stanley Cup Final win in franchise history in the city’s first Stanley Cup game that saw an estimated 50,000 fans turn out on Broadway for the celebration.
The energy was palpable inside too, as five different goal scorers found the back to the net for Nashville, including Frederick Gaudreau who became the 11th different Predators skater to record a game-winning goal in these playoffs.
“I think our guys have done a really good job of just stepping up,” Nashville Head Coach Peter Laviolette said. “Colton Sissons is a good example, [Pontus] Aberg, Gaudreau being able to contribute. Whoever is called upon, coming into the lineup, helping out… guys have done an amazing job of coming in and contributing.”
Held pointless in the Final, Filip Forsberg continues to lead the Preds in scoring with eight goals and 15 points, followed by Roman Josi with 14 points and then a three-way tie between Colton Sissons, Viktor Arvidsson and Ryan Ellis with 12 each. Josi, Sissons and James Neal have six goals apiece, Ryan Ellis has potted five, while Craig Smith and Mattias Ekholm each recorded their first of the playoffs in Game Three. Goaltender Pekka Rinne has 13 wins in the postseason with a .931 save percentage.
Evgeni Malkin’s 26 points lead the Penguins, followed by Sidney Crosby with 23 and then Jake Guentzel and Phil Kessel with 20 each. Guentzel tallied his League-leading 13th of the playoffs in Game Three, his fourth goal of the Final. Goaltender Matt Murray suffered his second loss of the postseason in Game Three and owns a .930 save percentage.
As the Predators look to utilize home-ice advantage once more and even the Stanley Cup Final, here are three things to watch for:
Spread the Wealth:
Forward Craig Smith and defenseman Mattias Ekholm each potted their first goal of the 2017 postseason for Nashville in Game Three. When Ekholm blasted one home on the power play in the third period of Game Three, he became the 19th Nashville skater to score in the playoffs, putting the Preds just two shy of the NHL record of 21, set by Philadelphia in 1987.
The game on on the real NBC tonight since they didn’t have any ice dancing or hula hoop competitions to show at 8 p.m. EST. Watch it with me.
