Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby (87) plays against the Nashville Predators in game 2 of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals hockey game, Wednesday, May 31, 2017, in Pittsburgh.
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In Game 5, for the first time in the Stanley Cup Final, the Penguins generated significantly more high-grade five-on-five scoring chances than they allowed. “I mean we’re here to win, playing in front of home fans, we’re definitely very confident that we can get it done”. “I don’t think that they were necessarily bad goals”. We have to do a better job. “There’s a lot of things we can do better as a team”. “But I promise you, in 10 years when we’re talking about this to our kids, our friends, our grandkids, we’re not going to be complaining about where we parked or how crowded it was”.
Perhaps Crosby’s way of expressing himself could at times make watching paint dry a popular spectator sport by comparison, but his consistency and performances like the one he had in Game 5 continually invigorate his teammates. That team came back to win the next game.
Consider his description of the opening couple minutes Thursday in Game Five of the Stanley Cup Final when Crosby launched the Penguins toward a 6-0 win and a 3-2 series lead.
Country music fan Darlene Dye, who planned her trip from Dayton, Ohio, months before the Predators’ playoff run, said she’s enjoyed seeing the team embraced by country stars. Sidney Crosby had three assists, and goaltender Matt Murray had 24 stops in the shutout. Evgeni Malkin scored his 10th and had an assist, while Ron Hainsey also had a goal and an assist. “It’s a big game”.
Host Liam McHugh will anchor pre-game, intermission and studio coverage on-site throughout the series, alongside analysts and former players Mike Milbury and Keith Jones.
It was a familiar showing for Rinne. Bonino has missed the past two games after taking a shot to the left foot or ankle.
The Pittsburgh Penguins toyed with the Nashville Predators, 6-0, here Thursday night to take a 3-2 lead in the series but conventional wisdom has the good feelings shifting back to the Preds Sunday night when the series returns to the historically insane atmosphere of Bridgestone Arena.
Yet there’s been no question that Rinne, who has never won a start in Pittsburgh, will be in net Sunday night.
“When I started, we didn’t know if we were going to be there and now you see how far the franchise has come”, Trotz said in a phone interview on Saturday.
“It was just one of those games where they were going and we were trying to find it and didn’t really get it going at any point”, Rinne said. We get to play at home and it’s just a one-game mentality.
Rinne has a 9-1 record this spring with a 1.44 goals-against average and.949 save percentage in Nashville.
Rinne insisted his confidence isn’t shaken though he was disappointed with Thursday’s result. “They are just so behind the Predators it’s nearly they can wield them to victory just cheering at the television”.
On the game’s first shift, Crosby wove down the slot, putting a shot off the left post and drawing a holding penalty on Nashville defenseman Ryan Ellis.
Conor Sheary netted his second of the playoffs at 1:19 in the second, all but dooming the Predators.
Seconds later, Phil Kessel scored to give the Penguins a 5-0 lead, and again, many thought the goal was an unfair outcome, as play should have been stopped – with Crosby, some noted, penalized.
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Sullivan said he feels like the Penguins have been improving each game throughout the Stanley Cup Final. Those two already play a lot.
