Penguins have the experience, Predators the momentum
Penguins have the experience, Predators the momentum
PITTSBURGH — Somewhere between the catfish lobbing, A-list national anthem singers, Carrie Underwood’s forgetfulness, Charles Barkley’s surprise cameo and P.K. Subban’s breath, there’s been another notable development during the Stanley Cup Finals:
A week ago, the Nashville Predators headed home down 2-0 to the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.
Goalie Pekka Rinne’s game seemed to be in tatters, and the Penguins’ fans were musing whether they preferred a clean sweep or just a split of the two games in Nashville so the defending champions could raise the Cup on home ice.
The vibe inside PPG Paints Arena for Game 5 on Thursday night figures to be more anxious than anticipatory after the Predators evened the series at 2-2 with a pair of vintage performances on home ice that sent “Smashville” into a frenzy and delivered a clear message that the first-timers are a threat to become first-time winners.
Through four games, Nashville has more goals, more shots on goal and a bit more swagger than Pittsburgh.
The Penguins have the experience, the Predators the momentum.
“I know people talk about how we’re tired, but believe me, they’re tired too,” Pittsburgh forward Evgeni Malkin said.
Maybe, but Nashville appeared a step quicker in its home building, pouring in nine goals and handing Penguins goalie Matt Murray the first back-to-back playoff losses of his young career.
The Penguins are two wins from becoming the first team to capture consecutive Cups in nearly two decades due in large part to their resiliency.
While Sidney Crosby says the “desperation level” will ramp up, Sullivan was quick to point out the term doesn’t mean what you think it means.
Pittsburgh is 7-7 over its past 14 games and has been limited to just one goal in six of its past 11 — including the two losses in Nashville.
[...] Pittsburgh is pretty good in the house that owner Mario Lemieux built.
The Penguins finished with the second-best home record in the league and have ripped off five straight victories on home ice.