The Stage Is Set For Game 6

When June rolls around and the weather gets warmer (sometimes), the days get longer, and school comes to an end, the best part of the hockey season is just beginning; The Stanley Cup Final.

This years showdown between the defending champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the newcomer to the stage, the Nashville Predators, has been nothing short of spectacular.

When looking at the matchup before game 1 Pittsburgh is the easy pick for nearly anyone. Not mention, it is easy to identify the star talent Pittsburgh has on their team with Crosby, Malkin, Letang (granted he’s injured), Daley, Bonino (also injured but possibly could return) Maatta, Kessel, and Cole. To deem the former champions of last year, the champions of this year as well, especially after the first two games in Pittsburgh, it’s a no brainer right? Nashville outshot Pittsburgh 26-11 in game one and 38-27 in game two, despite only putting the puck past goaltender Matt Murray four times.

The pace was fast, the hits were hard, the passes were crisp, and the excitement was real, but there was no need to write off Nashville, which I did not, after going down 0-2 in the series. Some could say Nashville out played Pittsburgh in the first two games, and that I cannot disagree with, but a return back home was bound to turn this series around, and it did.

Many people wouldn’t label Nashville as a “hockey town”, I know I didn’t, but that label can be printed now. The atmosphere in Nashville is unlike any other city that homes an NHL team. The weather is warm, the music is loud, and the fans, are unbelievably passionate for the Preds. From the smashing of the Pittsburgh labeled car, to the National Anthem being done by country star and wife of Mike Fisher, Carrie Underwood, all the pregame festivities make a stellar build up for puck drop.

From the second that puck is dropped the fans are on their feet, and they are loud. There is no ignoring them, you can see the Predators players thriving off the thrill the fans provide; it shows in their play. Pekka Rinne used this to bounce back in game three after being yanked in game two. The Predators offensive game, however, came back to life putting five goals past Matt Murray, and PK Subban got back to his antics while chirping with Sidney Crosby, who claimed Subban had “bad breath”.

Game four was a wild one. The Predators came out feeling fresh (due to the Listerine Subban brought for the team before the game) and scored early in the first. Ultimately shortly after, Sidney Crosby answered to tie it up. Following Crosby’s goal, the Preds answered with a goal of their own. Then Pekka Rinne and company stole the show. The Penguins had good puck movement and used their open space with their speed to create plenty of scoring chances. Rinne just wasn’t having any of it. Chris Kunitz came down the middle in the second period on a breakaway. Kunitz walked in, dangled, and tried to sneak a shot in five hole on Rinne, stoned.

A few minutes later, the Penguins came down the ice again leading to a breakaway. Rinne made the initial save and then one, two, and three more, as the puck was batted by a scrum of gold and white jerseys. Rinne ended up spread out across the crease with the puck in his glove, and the crowd went bonkers.

The game was ultimately over following the Rinne save sequence, because after the following face off the Predators chipped the puck up the side boards, James Neal tapped the puck ever so perfectly with the end of his stick as he was falling to the ice, and the rolling puck was picked up by Viktor Arvidsson who finished the play by putting the puck over the shoulder of Murray.

Now the series is in Pittsburgh’s hands after stomping out Nashville at home, 6-0. Rinne was pulled yet again, and it didn’t help, because the Penguins continued to score.

But don’t let that one game determine the outcome of the series….

The last series Pittsburgh was in against the Ottawa Senators, the Penguins manhandled the Sens 7-0 on home ice. Then proceeded to lose game six on the road 2-1. This MUST give the Predators hope as they head back down south. The Preds may not have official home ice advantage in this series, but they have a 9-1 record on home ice during these playoffs, that is taking advantage on home ice. So as the series shifts back to Tennessee, it’s easy to keep an eye on the momentum Nashville gets from their home crowd, which is why they should force a game 7 back in Pittsburgh. Then agin, anything can happen.

Written by Nick Gendreau