Third-period outburst spurs Penguins to Game 2 win, 2-0 series lead over Predators
The Pittsburgh Penguins are now two wins away from repeating as Stanley Cup champions. Third-period fireworks lifted the Penguins to a 4-1 win Wednesday against the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, giving Pittsburgh a 2-0 series lead.
Like in Game 1 Monday, the visiting Predators got on the scoreboard first Wednesday. Unlike Game 1, the goal wasn't rescinded after a challenge. Pontus Aberg gave Nashville a 1-0 lead in Game 2 after skated down the left side of the ice and skillfully breezed around Pittsburgh defenseman Olli Maatta. Delaying as he skated left to right in front of crease, Aberg finally riffled off a wrist shot from close range to beat goalie Matt Murray at 12:57 in the first period.
Nashville's lead was short-lived. Camped out near the right side of the net, Penguins forward Jake Guentzel collected the rebound off a shot from Conor Sheary and somehow found a postage stamp's worth of space between Predators goalie Pekka Rinne's arm and body to slip the puck through to make it 1-1 with 3:24 left in the opening stanza.
Guentzel wasn't done. Just ten seconds into the third period, the rookie netted his second goal of the night, and his 12th of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Scott Wilson made it 3-1 in favor of the Penguins 3:03 later. Evgeni Malkin chased Rinne from the game with a wrist shot 15 seconds after that to give the Penguins a 4-1 edge. Chants of "We want the Cup!" echoed throughout PPG Paints Arena moments before Patric Hornqvist appeared to have scored Pittsburgh's fifth goal of the night at 6:48 in the final period; however, the goal was waved off after Nashville successfully challenged the call, arguing that Pittsburgh's Matt Cullen had been offside in the lead-up to the goal.
Nashville will look to snap its two-game losing streak Saturday when the Predators host the Penguins in Game 3.
