Cnotes 2017 Stanley Cup Championship Trends-Stats-Picks-News !

[CNOTES]

Penguins regroup, Predators look for road magic in Game 5
June 7, 2017


PITTSBURGH (AP) 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 Final:


A series has broken out. Perhaps the seeds of an upset, too.


A week ago, the Nashville Predators headed home down 2-0 to the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Pekka Rinne's game seemed to be in tatters and the Penguins fan base was musing whether it 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.


So, about that.


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 very clear message that the first-timers are a clear threat to become first-time winners.


Through four games, Nashville has more goals, more shots on goal and a bit more swagger than Pittsburgh. What began as a two-month slog to the Cup is now a three-game dash, one that appears to be a coin flip. The Penguins have the experience. The Predators have the momentum. Both are fighting fatigue with adrenaline.


''I know people talk about how we're tired, but believe me, they're tired too,'' Pittsburgh forward Evgeni Malkin said. ''It's not only us tired. It's only three games left. We're not talking about being tired.''


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. Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan isn't concerned about Murray. He's not really worried about the 190 feet in front of Murray, either. The Penguins have come within two games of the first team to capture consecutive Cups in nearly two decades due in large part to their resiliency.


And while captain 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.


''`Desperate' is a funny word for me because it gets thrown around our game a lot,'' Sullivan said. ''It always has a connotation of hopelessness. I don't believe that's the word that we want to use to describe our team. I think we've got to play with urgency. I think we've got to play determined. I think we have to play with conviction. I think when our team plays that way, we're at our very best.''


Pittsburgh is just 7-7 over its last 14 games and has been limited to just one goal in six of its past 11 - including the two losses in Nashville. Still, 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 since Ottawa stunned them in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, including the first two games of the Cup final when they needed just 36 shots to beat Rinne eight times.


Funny, Rinne hardly looked rattled back home, holding Pittsburgh to just two goals combined as Nashville rallied to tie things up in front of a giddy home crowd that included Underwood, who was so caught up in Cup fever she overlooked husband Mike Fisher's 37th birthday. Not that Fisher or his teammates keeping track anyway. Not with the ultimate prize so close at hand.


When the playoffs started in mid-April, the Predators were the last team in. Now they're two victories away from a title few saw coming. At least one of those wins will have to come in Pittsburgh, where Rinne has never won a game.


Maybe it's fitting considering the 19-season journey they've taken to get to this point. They'll take their chances.


''We have no home ice, we knew that coming in,'' coach Peter Laviolette said. ''We have to win a road game. There's no other way around it.''


The Predators are 5-5 when forced to wear the road whites, including a Game 5 victory against Anaheim in the West finals. Save for a pair of flurries (one at the end of the first period in Game 1, the other at the beginning of the third period in Game 2) Nashville has been every bit Pittsburgh's equal.


''I think we're going to expect their best hockey in their rink,'' Predators forward James Neal said. ''I think both teams have gotten better throughout the series and that's expected. It's going to be a battle going in there and we need to steal one in their arena.''


Do it and they might not steal a title, but earn one.

 

[CNOTES]

Stanley Cup Exact Futures
June 6, 2017


Bet on NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Sportsbook.ag


After another dominating performance by the Nashville Predators in Game 4, this Stanley Cup Final is all even at two games apiece and has effectively become a best-of-three. Sportsbook.ag has updated their odds regarding everything still out there for this Stanley Cup Final, and with the Penguins still having home ice advantage they are installed as -135 favorites.


Backing Nashville will get you +115 odds, but to cash that wager the Predators are going to have to buck the trend of home ice being the deciding factor so far in this series. The good news for Nashville fans in that regard is the fact that only three times in NHL history has the home team won every game in the Stanley Cup Finals (1955, 1965, 2003) with the most recent being 2003.


So with that in mind, let's take a look at some of the alternate ways you can bet on the rest of this series.


Sportsbook.ag Stanley Cup Finals Exact Futures


When you go to this link you'll see the prices for the four remaining possibilities of this series. One of these two teams is going to need at least six games to hoist the Cup, and if it doesn't go the distance then someone is going to have to win on the road. Oddly enough, the favorite in terms of odds in those options listed is that the series will go 7 games (-125) – compared to (-105) for 6 games, and a Penguins win in 7 games is the favorite at +220.


Considering the home team has only won all seven games three times in NHL history, those prices are a little surprising. I know that we could still see a Penguins win in 7 games with each team winning on the road, but regarding the exact future (team + games), a Penguins victory in 7 is not the first place I'd look.


The last time the Stanley Cup Finals went the distance was back in 2011 when the Boston Bruins ended up beating Vancouver for the Cup. That year became more famous for the riots in Vancouver that followed that Game 7 defeat, but up until that final game it was the home side that had won each game as well.


2009 was similar in that regard when Pittsburgh and Detroit ended up going the distance, the home team winning each of the first six games, before Crosby and Malkin were able to capture their first Stanley Cup together with a road win in Game 7. With history like that, if this does end up going the distance with each side continuing to hold serve at home until then and/or you believe it will go the distance, Nashville in 7 games at +300 is worth a stronger look.


Yet, in the 11 Stanley Cup Finals played since the 2004-05 lockout season was lost, we've only seen three Stanley Cup Finals go the distance. There were the two aforementioned ones along with the Carolina/Edmonton series in 2006.


So I wouldn't be quite so sure this one goes the distance as it's been six years since the last Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, and four of the five Finals since then all finished in Game 6. One of these two teams this year is going to find a way to push through in hostile territory over the next two games and we will see this series end in 6 games.


Therefore, taking the length of series – 6 games (-105) is definitely the strongest wager of the bunch. However, I have no problem taking both the Penguins in 6 (+275) and the Predators in 6 (+275) as well because I do believe we see the winner of Game 5 -whomever that may be, and it's a tough game to handicap – hoist the Cup a few days later after Game 6.


History suggests that's what we will likely see, and when you think of the possible scenarios heading into that sixth game, you can make a strong argument for the team that is up 3-2 to clinch things out.


If it's Nashville who breaks through on the road first with a win in Game 5, that building will be rocking in Game 6 and the home crowd should fuel the Predators to a monumental win. If it's Pittsburgh up after Game 5, their history of all three Stanley Cups in franchise history being clinched on the road comes into play and Crosby and company will not want to risk a third straight Game 7 in these playoffs for all the marbles, even if it is at home.

 

[CNOTES]

Stanley Cup Final script has flipped
June 7, 2017


PITTSBURGH -- The script has flipped when it comes to goaltenders Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators and Matt Murray of the Pittsburgh Penguins.


As the two clubs get set for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday at PPG Paints Arena, social media and some mainstream media members have cast a long look at Murray, who allowed eight goals on 58 shots in losses in Games 3 and 4 in Nashville.


"I thought I was OK in Game 3, obviously not great. I thought I was pretty good in Game 4," Murray said Wednesday.


There is at least some sentiment for Pittsburgh to go back to goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who started the first 15 playoff games following an injury to Murray in the warmup before the Penguins' postseason opener.


Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan isn't talking about any lineup changes. Neither was Murray when asked if he knew who will start Thursday.


"Even if I did, I would not tell you," he said.


A change seems unlikely, and Fleury begged off of any controversy.


"It's out of my hands," he said. "What I've got to do is try to stay ready in practices if they need me."


Murray downplayed some criticism that he has been vulnerable to shots on his glove side.


"I work on everything. I work on my entire game," he said. "If they want to shoot glove (side), then I say go ahead and shoot glove."


It was just last week when Rinne was facing some similar heat after allowing eight goals on 36 shots in Games 1 and 2 and getting pulled in Game 2.


Nashville coach Peter Laviolette similarly would not commit to starting Rinne in Game 3, but he later admitted he never really considered a switch.


After two Predators wins in a row to tie the series, Rinne's first experience in the Cup Final has become a lot more pleasant.


"Amazing," he said. "Obviously, you don't want to look back yet. Been playing for a long time, never had this opportunity. It means everything to me right now. Just living my dream right now."


--Pittsburgh sniper Phil Kessel is tied for third this postseason with 20 points, but he has just one point, an assist, this series and has gone six games without a goal.


Center and oft-linemate Evgeni Malkin boldly predicted Kessel will break that slump Thursday.


"He'll score. It's his time to score," Malkin said. "He's a great player. He likes to play in tough situations. Now it's time for leadership to show in big games. Time to score. We play at home. It's our building, our emotion."


Kessel had eight shot attempts in Game 4 -- two that were stopped by Rinne, three that were blocked and three that missed the net.


"I missed the net a couple times where I probably should have hit the net," Kessel said.


Not to worry, Malkin said.


"I feel it," Malkin said. "He has waited a long time. He hasn't scored in a long time. Now it's time. Last game I think he showed his best game in this series. He plays so hard. I believe. I feel it."


--Sullivan has a booming voice and mostly is all business during press conferences. He broke that demeanor Wednesday when a local radio reporter got his tongue tied and inadvertently called Sullivan "Mario."


Sullivan smiled and said being referred to as Penguins co-owner and Hall of Fame center Mario Lemieux "brightened my week."


He also took the opportunity to talk about getting pointers from Lemieux, who led the Penguins to two Cups as a player. Lemieux has been a regular at playoff games and around the Pittsburgh locker room afterward.


"He comes down, shares his insight. We certainly value what he brings," Sullivan said. "Obviously, he thinks the game on a certain level that most people don't think the game. We value his input.


"Mario is great because he does entrust us with making the right decisions. He does empower us to do our jobs, which we're very appreciative of. But we certainly value his insights and his observations."


--Laviolette is probably even more stoic than Sullivan, especially at the daily news conferences during the Final, but he said he does crack that veneer occasionally.


"I think we have fun. I mean, we do laugh a little bit," Laviolette admitted.


"But it is business, too. There's a lot of work that has to be done on a daily basis for everybody, not just coaches or not just players. There's the organization, the guys on video, the equipment, the trainers. It is business. I don't think you get to this point if you aren't (about the) business.


"A lot of times what you see up here, you're asking direct questions about the game or about a situation. I do think it is a lot of business. But, believe it or not, I do smile once in a while."


--Pittsburgh's transition game has missed top defenseman Kris Letang. He skated in a track suit before practice Wednesday, but that is just part of his four- to-six-month recovery plan after he had disc surgery on his neck in mid-April.


On Tuesday, Sullivan shot down reports that Letang had an outside chance to return in this series.


Pittsburgh could still be without center Nick Bonino (left foot/ankle) for the third straight game. He watched practice.


Nashville center Colin Wilson, who has an undisclosed injury, could make his Final debut, as there is a chance to be cleared to play.


"He can get down low and hang onto pucks and really be physical offensively," Predators winger Austin Watson said. "Going with our game plan, we'd like to get down there, disrupt their defense, play with the puck and possession -- he's great at that. He can definitely be a helpful guy for us."

 

[CNOTES]

Stanley sets tone for Preds' style
June 6, 2017


NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) The instant one of the Pittsburgh Penguins passes the puck to a teammate, one of the Nashville Predators closes in, taking away any time or space to operate.


The junkyard dog approach to hockey for the Stanley Cup Final debutants has a history: It is the Predators' on-ice version of Stanley, the blue mutt with a bone clenched between his teeth. He's the team mascot whose picture is stuck on the Predators' locker-room door, now with two bandages commemorating playoff-ending injuries first to forward Kevin Fiala, then center Ryan Johansen. The dog, its name tag hanging from a spiked collar, bares his teeth in photos on three walls inside, too.


Stanley is the symbol of how coach Peter Laviolette wanted his Predators to play this season. They responded with an attacking, never-stop approach that has helped Nashville go from the last team into the NHL playoffs to one that is two wins from a championship. The Predators are tied 2-2 with the Penguins with Game 5 coming up Thursday night in Pittsburgh.


''We definitely know what our identity is,'' defenseman P.K. Subban said. ''It's kind of the dog-on-a-bone mentality. And we want to dictate the pace of the game, and we want to attack you in all three zones as a five-man unit and be tough to play against. And I think everybody on our team can skate, move the puck and make plays.''


Stanley is more than just a cartoon dog. The Predators also award the best player in each game a heavy chain as a reward, a hockey version of a game ball. The Predators in past years have given out a construction worker's hard hat to recognize the best player in a game.


Defenseman Matt Irwin says Stanley shows exactly how the Predators want to play.


''If you think of Stanley and you look at him, his knees are bent, he's in an athletic stance, his mouth's drooling,'' Irwin said. ''It's the intensity he brings, and that's the kind of intensity we want to bring to our game every night.''


That's exactly what Laviolette wanted when the Stanley concept was introduced months ago. Irwin said winning the big chain is a very cool honor, even though he's won it only once this season.


''Obviously when you win the chain, it's recognition from your teammates you contributed and you had a solid night,'' Irwin said.


Photos of a menacing dog and a chain can only go so far, though. The Predators finished the regular season 16th in the NHL with 94 points. They knew they would be starting on the road in every series, and the Predators responded by winning the opener of their first three series.


Now they head to Pittsburgh needing to find a way to win in the home ice of the defending champions after dropping Games 1 and 2.


The Predators are 5-5 away from Nashville this postseason. They are getting production from everyone who hits the ice, with 19 different players scoring at least one goal - two shy of the NHL record of 21 held by the 1987 Philadelphia Flyers. They also have killed 24 of 25 penalties in the Stanley Cup Final.


In Game 1, Nashville became the first team to hold an opponent without a shot on goal in a period of a Final game since the NHL started tracking that statistic in 1957, and that drought lasted 37 minutes even though Pittsburgh pulled out a 5-3 win. In Game 3, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were held without a shot on goal in the same playoff game for the first time in their careers.


Mattias Ekholm said everything is designed to make opponents work hard and fellow defenseman Ryan Ellis noted that the hard work is required of the Predators, too.


''As much as it is about skill and speed and all that, it's the work ethic, it's the little things, and I think that's kind of the idea behind that is doing the right thing and working as hard as we can,'' Ellis said. ''I mean working hard in a game trumps all no matter skill level or this or that.''

 

[CNOTES]

NHL playoffs


Game 5


Home team won first four Finals games, and last seven Nashville-Pittsburgh tilts overall; Penguins are 10-4 in last 14 games with Nashville- five of last seven series games went over. Predators lost three of last four road games; they lost last four games in Steel City, outscored 18-8- under is 8-4-2 in their last 14 games. Pittsburgh won its last five home games. Under is 3-2-1 in their last six games. Penguins won Cup LY and in 2009; they’re 4-1 overall in Stanley Cup final series. Nashville is in its first Stanley Cup final. Predators are 4-12 on power play in series; Penguins are 1-16.


Stanley Cup final


Nashville-Pittsburgh


Pitt 5-3, -$160, O5.5


Pitt 4-1, -$140, U5.5


Nash 5-1, -$150, O5.5


Nash 4-1, -$135, U5.5

 

[CNOTES]

What nerves? Rookies making an impact in Stanley Cup Final
June 8, 2017


PITTSBURGH (AP) The guy that scored the winner in Games 3 and 4 of the Stanley Cup Final doesn't even have a locker in the Nashville Predators' dressing room.


The 22-year-old who leads the NHL in playoff goals and is a legit contender for the Conn Smythe trophy watched the Pittsburgh Penguins lift the Stanley Cup last spring on TV as a minor leaguer just getting his feet wet as a pro.


Sure, technically Frederick Gaudreau and Jake Guentzel are rookies. Neither is playing like one.


Maybe that's because by June, the NHL's sprawling season is in its ninth month and the bubble that surrounds each club during the journey deep into the playoffs insulates players from the outside forces that can make the big picture seem, well, too big.


''It's kind of an `ignorance is bliss' kind of mentality,'' said Penguins forward Conor Sheary, who had four goals and six assists in 23 games as a 24-year-old rookie during Pittsburgh's 2016 Cup run. ''You don't know what to expect, you just come in and play hockey.''


While the expectations in places like Pittsburgh are high every year, it's a burden largely shouldered by Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. They take great pains to bring the new faces along. Sheary played on Crosby's line throughout the 2016 playoffs and his stall in the dressing room was within arm's reach of Crosby's, where Sheary soaked up wisdom and insight from the superstar. It's been much the same for Guentzel this time around.


''Growing up, you watch him, so to be honest it's pretty special,'' said Guentzel, whose 13 postseason goals are one off the NHL playoff rookie record set by Dino Ciccarelli with the Minnesota North Stars in 1981. ''I'm trying to make the most of it. He kind of told me just to play my game.''


It's a message that permeates in Nashville's dressing room, too. Gaudreau spent three years with the Predators' American Hockey League affiliate in Milwaukee before he finally earned a call-up this season, picking up an assist in nine appearances. He sat for the first month of the playoffs before making his postseason debut in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals against Anaheim.


All Gaudreau has done with the opportunity is become the first player since Johnny Harms with the 1944 Chicago Blackhawks to score the first three goals of his NHL career in a Cup final.


Heady territory for an undrafted free agent once considered too small (6-feet, 179 pounds) to be an impact player at this level.


"I live some stuff,'' Gaudreau said after Nashville's Game 4 win evened the series at 2-2 heading into Thursday night's Game 5 in Pittsburgh. ''Every time I was trying to get better mentally. I'm getting to that point where I think I can handle all (these) situation(s).''


Maybe, but what works for one player doesn't work for another. Matt Murray was supposed to be the goalie of the future for the Penguins last season when an injury to Marc-Andre Fleury on the eve of the playoffs made him very much the goalie of the present. He went 15-6 with a .923 save percentage to win the Cup at the age of 22.


Having a dominant team in front of him helped. So did a ''what, me worry?'' attitude that made him seemingly immune to the stakes. Looking back, maybe having been there and done that isn't all it's cracked up to be.


''If you approach things with no fear it doesn't matter if you're a rookie or a veteran,'' Murray said. ''It doesn't matter if you've been there or not.''


It certainly hasn't mattered during the Cup final. Nine of the 24 total goals have come from first-year players. Guentzel has four. Gaudreau has three. Nashville's Pontus Aberg and Pittsburgh's Scott Wilson have the other two. Guentzel pumped in the winners in the opening two games in Pittsburgh. Gaudreau did the same during the series' debut in Smashville.


It is the first time in the history of a league that's been around a century that it's happened.


These rookies are playing in a league that's evolving, even if the defense is better as it always is in the postseason. Experience helps. So does having legs that can go and go and go.


''The teams that are having success, I think speed is a common denominator that runs through their lineups,'' Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. ''I think young players with young legs have the ability to have an impact.''


Of course there's a learning curve. It's just not as long as it used to be. The evidence will be on the ice Thursday, when Guentzel could take another step to becoming first rookie since goaltender Cam Ward with Carolina in 2006 to win the Smythe as playoff MVP. Or Gaudreau could inch closer to earning a permanent stall in the Predators dressing room.


''I don't think a player ever `arrives,''' Sullivan said. ''But I think they're more prepared than they've ever been when they do get that first opportunity to play at the NHL level.''


And more prepared than ever to make the most of it.

 

[CNOTES]

Malkin, Rinne among contenders in wide-open Conn Smythe race
June 8, 2017


Nashville coach Peter Laviolette was so concerned that Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin would take criticism to heart that he wanted everyone to stop talking about it.


No shots for the Pittsburgh Penguins' top stars in Game 3 led to one of Crosby's best games of the playoffs in Game 4, even though the Predators won it to even the Stanley Cup Final.


Going into Game 5 on Thursday night, Crosby and Malkin are still in the wide-open Conn Smythe Trophy race - along with some less-familiar faces.


Malkin has the most points in the playoffs with 26 and Crosby is second with 24. Penguins teammate Jake Guentzel has a playoff-best 13 goals, while Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne has been their backbone, according to Laviolette. Forward Filip Forsberg is Nashville's leading scorer.


Crosby won the Conn Smythe a year ago and Malkin did when the Penguins lifted the Cup in 2009. It wouldn't surprise anyone if either had a repeat performance.


''My sense of being around Geno is that his priorities are just trying to help this team win and trying to accomplish our team goals, which ultimately is a Stanley Cup,'' Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said of Malkin. ''I think these guys are ultimately driven to win championships. I think that's their No. 1 priority.''


Rinne was a playoff MVP favorite going into the Cup Final, but allowing eight goals in the first two games put the Predators in a hole. He held Pittsburgh to a single goal in the next two games, a bounce-back effort that would likely back his case if Nashville wins the first Cup in franchise history.


''It's a rollercoaster, it's an emotional ride,'' said Rinne, who has a 1.88 goals-against average and .932 save percentage in 20 postseason starts this year. ''The first two games, we did a lot of good things. Personally wasn't really happy with my game. ... It's a game of confidence being a goalie.''


There's no shortage of confidence for Penguins goalies Matt Murray and Marc-Andre Fleury, but they've split the duties almost evenly so far in the playoffs. The NHL said Murray and Fleury cannot be voted as a single entity for the Conn Smythe, though they could share it if the votes end up an even split.


Unlikely, especially considering that if Pittsburgh wins its second consecutive championship it will be thanks in large part to Guentzel, who is one goal away from tying Dino Ciccarelli's rookie record that has stood for 36 years.


''He's certainly made his influence on the playoffs for our team in such a positive way,'' Sullivan said. ''He's a great offensive player. He's got good instincts. We can play him with anybody. He just has the ability to make plays around him better. He's got a nose for the net. He can score goals.''


So can Forsberg, who leads the Predators with nine. Laviolette is more concerned with the gifted Swede's all-around game than just his scoring ability.


''Just with opportunity, he's really shown himself as somebody who wants to be the guy on the front of the rope pulling it,'' Laviolette said. ''I think with the opportunities he's gotten through the regular season and through increased playoff experiences, he's really shown he is a leader on this team. He's a difference-maker on this team, somebody we count on.''


The Predators' other top candidates are defenseman Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis, who have combined for 17 points in 20 games. They've also been chiefly responsible for defending Crosby, which could be the difference between a parade on Lower Broadway and another one in the Steel City.


Josi in particular has a shot as he plays a team-high 26 minutes per game and has a complete game.


''His offensive skills, I think they stand out more sometimes because he's gifted offensively,'' Laviolette said. ''His defense is equally as good for me.''

 

[CNOTES]

NHL Stanley Cup Final Game 5 Betting Preview: Predators at Penguins


Nashville Predators at Pittsburgh Penguins (-155, 5.5)


Series tied 2-2


The Pittsburgh Penguins' high-octane offense looks to get back on track in Thursday's Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final against the visiting Nashville Predators after being stuck in neutral for the previous two contests in the Music City. Captain Sidney Crosby ended his Stanley Cup Final drought of 12 games without a goal by tallying in Monday's 4-1 setback, but Pittsburgh was outscored 9-2 in Games 3 and 4 to see the best-of-seven series knotted at 2-2.


"We're confident our team will respond the right way, as they always have all season long," coach Mike Sullivan said of the Penguins, who have seen Phil Kessel and Bryan Rust mired in respective six-game goal droughts while former Predator Patric Hornqvist has failed to tally in his last five. "I believe we have great leadership in our room. We've got good players. They understand the circumstances and we've felt as though, with each game that we've played here, our team game is getting stronger." Nashville's Frederick Gaudreau continued his brilliant series by scoring the decisive goal for the second straight contest, joining fellow rookie Jake Guentzel of Pittsburgh by accounting for all four-game winning goals in the Stanley Cup Final. "(Gaudreau's) been unbelievable for us, just the way he's come in and he's been so good with the timely goals and so composed," Predators captain Mike Fisher said of the 24-year-old, who had one assist in nine regular-season NHL games in his career.


TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBC, CBC, Sportsnet, TVAS


LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened the Penguins as -148 favorites and they have been bet up slightly to the current number of -155. The total for Game 5 is set at 5.5.


PROBABLE GOALIE MATCHUP: Pekka Rinne vs Matt Murray (PIT)


Rinne - W/L: 14-6, GAA: 1.88, SAVE %: .932
Murray - W/L: 5-3, GAA: 2.08, SAVE %: .925


INJURY REPORT:


Predators - D P. Subban (Probable Thursday, ankle), LW C. Wilson (Questionable Thursday, lower body), C R. Johnasen (Out for season, thigh), LW K. Fiala (Out for season, leg).


Penguins - RW P. Hornqvist (Questionable Thursday, wrist), C N. Bonino (Questionable Thursday, lower body), RW T. Kuhnhackl (Out indefinitely, lower body), D C. Ruhwedel (Out indefinitely, concussion), K. Letang (Out for season, neck).


ABOUT THE PREDATORS: Franchise goaltender Pekka Rinne silenced critics by turning aside 50 of 52 shots in his last two games to improve to 9-1 at home in the postseason, but his play in Pittsburgh leaves plenty to be desired. The three-time Vezina Trophy finalist has yielded at least four goals in each contest en route to losing all five of his career decisions in the Steel City, including eight tallies on 36 shots collectively in Games 1 and 2. Rinne's defense has been up to the task in the last two contests, but P.K. Subban's availability for Game 5 could be in question as the blue-liner was not on the ice to begin practice Wednesday after blocking Evgeni Malkin's shot late the third period in Game 4.


ABOUT THE PENGUINS: In a move that parallels that of Nashville coach Peter Laviolette prior to Game 3, Sullivan refused to reveal the identity of his starting netminder for Game 5 after Matt Murray yielded eight goals on 58 shots in the last two contests. For his part, the 23-year-old Murray admitted he wouldn't spill the beans even if he was in on the secret, telling the team's website Wednesday that "Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you." Murray has posted a 5-3 mark with a 2.08 goals-against average and .925 save percentage in the past nine games after missing the first two rounds of the playoffs because of a lower-body injury, with veteran Marc-Andre Fleury recording a 9-6 mark with a 2.56 GAA and .924 save percentage.


TRENDS:


* Predators are 0-4 in the last four meetings in Pittsburgh.
* Home team is 7-0 in the last seven meetings.
* Under is 4-1-2 in Penguins last seven games after scoring two goals or less in the revious game.
* Under is 5-1-3 in Predators last nine Thursday games.

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Dunkel


Thursday, June 8



Nashville @ Pittsburgh


Game 9-10
June 8, 2017 @ 8:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Nashville
13.412
Pittsburgh
11.577
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Nashville
by 2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-145
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Nashville
(+125); Under








NHL
Long Sheet


Thursday, June 8


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


NASHVILLE (55-34-0-13, 123 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (64-28-0-13, 141 pts.) - 6/8/2017, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 6-4 (+1.5 Units) against the spread versus NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 6-4-0 straight up against NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.2 Units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------







NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up


Thursday, June 8


Home team won first four Finals games, and last seven Nashville-Pittsburgh tilts overall; Penguins are 10-4 in last 14 games with Nashville- five of last seven series games went over. Predators lost three of last four road games; they lost last four games in Steel City, outscored 18-8- under is 8-4-2 in their last 14 games. Pittsburgh won its last five home games. Under is 3-2-1 in their last six games. Penguins won Cup LY and in 2009; they’re 4-1 overall in Stanley Cup final series. Nashville is in its first Stanley Cup final. Predators are 4-12 on power play in series; Penguins are 1-16.


Stanley Cup final
Nashville-Pittsburgh
Pitt 5-3, -$160, O5.5
Pitt 4-1, -$140, U5.5
Nash 5-1, -$150, O5.5
Nash 4-1, -$135, U5.5








NHL


Thursday, June 8


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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
NASHVILLE vs. PITTSBURGH
Nashville is 14-6 SU in its last 20 games
Nashville is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Pittsburgh is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing Nashville

 

[CNOTES]

THURSDAY, JUNE 8


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


NAS at PIT 08:00 PM


NAS +145


U 5.5

 

[CNOTES]

Penguins crush Predators 6-0 to take 3-2 lead in Stanley Cup
June 8, 2017


PITTSBURGH (AP) The night started with a catfish throw.


It ended with haymaker after haymaker - both literal and proverbial - from the ever resilient Pittsburgh Penguins.


The defending champions provided an emphatic and repeated reminder of what makes them such a difficult out in a 6-0 demolition of the Nashville Predators in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final to take a 3-2 lead.


Pittsburgh will have a chance to become the first franchise in 19 years to win back to back championships when the series shifts back to Nashville for Game 6 on Sunday night.


''Understand that we're going to play a desperate team,'' said Penguins captain Sidney Crosby after collecting three assists. ''Nothing's done yet and we've got a lot of work ahead of ourselves.''


So do the Predators, who can't get back to Smashville fast enough.


''I don't know if anybody shakes off a game like that that quickly,'' Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said. ''Nobody feels good leaving the building playing the way we did.''


Justin Schultz, Bryan Rust and Evgeni Malkin scored during a first-period barrage against Pekka Rinne that sent the Nashville goaltender to the bench for the rest of the night, all the good mojo he created during a pair of wins in Games 3 and 4 gone.


Conor Sheary, Phil Kessel - just as linemate Malkin predicted - and 35-year-old playoff newbie Ron Hainsey also scored for the Penguins. Crosby's eventful night included becoming the franchise's all-time leading scorer in the Stanley Cup Final, a two-minute roughing penalty for trying to dribble Nashville defenseman P.K. Subban's head on the ice near the end of the first period and an flip of a water bottle onto the ice during play.


''It's just one of those things it slipped out of my hand,'' Crosby said. ''I had a gesture with my hand and before I knew it the thing was flying across the ice. I know you're not allowed to do that, so I'm not going to start doing it in the Stanley Cup Final.''


Matt Murray bounced back from so-so performances during Pittsburgh's lost weekend in Nashville to make 24 stops while also benefiting from a dominant performance by the guys in front of him.


Penguins coach Mike Sullivan, as he has for each of the last two springs when his team finds itself in a tight spot, pushed all the right buttons again. He stuck with Murray, reunited Sheary with Crosby and Jake Guentzel, and stressed his team needed to play with urgency but not desperation after the Predators rallied to tie the series by outscoring the Penguins 9-2 during two wins in Nashville.


It took all of 91 seconds for Pittsburgh to get its swagger back.


Just 91 seconds after a Nashville fan flipped a catfish onto the PPG Paints Arena ice - a move that came shortly before a three-goal outburst by Nashville in Game 1 - Schultz powered home a slapshot to end an 0-for-15 power-play skid.


''We were on our toes tonight,'' Schultz said. ''We were really jumping and playing our game, playing fast. It all started with that start and got us going for the rest of the game.''


Rust made it 2-0 just 6:43 into the game with a nasty backhand flip over Rinne's glove.


Then things got chippy (and a little weird) for the game's best player. Crosby and Subban became tangled up behind the Nashville net late in the first period, with Crosby ended up on top of Subban. Crosby then started hitting Subban in the head repeatedly, eventually drawing a roughing penalty while Subban - who quipped that Crosby was complaining about Subban's bad breath during a Game 3 exchange - went off for holding.


''I'm not an official so I'm not going to judge what's over the line and what's not,'' Subban said.


Malkin ripped a wrist shot over Rinne's glove on the ensuing 4-on-4 to make it 3-0 with just 10 seconds left in the first. Rinne gave way to Juuse Saros at the start of the second period after stopping just six of nine shots, continuing his wildly uneven play. Rinne stopped 50 of 52 shots he faced back home in Games 3 and 4. He's stopped just 34 of 45 in Pittsburgh during the series.


Saros hardly fared any better. Sheary took a pretty feed from Crosby and sent it by Saros 1:19 into the second to push Pittsburgh's lead to four. Kessel ended a six-game goal drought 8:02 into the second. The score had been predicted by Malkin and it came just seconds after Crosby threw a water bottle onto the ice as the play went by Pittsburgh's bench, a move he told referees was unintentional.


When Hainsey, who waited 907 regular-season games before reaching the playoffs for the first time this season, tapped in a pass from Malkin to make it 6-0, the stage was set for the Penguins to return to familiar territory.


The franchise has won all four of its Cups on the road. A shot at a fifth awaits Sunday, though it'll hardly be easy.


The Predators are 9-1 at home in the playoffs, a place they will need to be a haven once again if they want to extend their improbable Cup run - and a flat-out odd final - back to Pittsburgh.


''The real hockey starts now,'' Subban said. ''You're in the Cup final, this is what it's all about. It's about going back and forth.''


NOTES: Crosby now has 20 career points in the Stanley Cup Final, a new franchise record and one more than team owner Mario Lemieux. ... Crosby also moved into a tie with Denis Potvin for 19th on the all-time career playoff scoring list. ... The team that has won Game 5 in a 2-2 series has gone on to win the Cup 71 percent (17 of 24) of the time since 1939. ... The teams combined for 100 penalty minutes (58 for Nashville, 42 for Pittsburgh). ... Guentzel's assist moved him into a tie with Dino Ciccarelli and Ville Leino for the most playoff points by a rookie in NHL history (21). ... Penguins F Nick Bonino missed his third straight game with a lower-body injury. ... Nashville F Colin Wilson made his series debut after missing the first four games with an undisclosed injury. Wilson skated on the fourth line with Frederick Gaudreau and Harry Zolnierczyk.

 

[CNOTES]

Preds on brink as Rinne struggles again
June 8, 2017


PITTSBURGH (AP) Pekka Rinne's struggles in Pittsburgh have his Nashville Predators on the brink of elimination.


The Penguins overwhelmed Rinne and the Predators again, sending Nashville's star goaltender to the bench in Pittsburgh for a second straight game in the Stanley Cup Final. He was pulled after the first period by coach Peter Laviolette after surrendering half the goals in a 6-0 rout by the Penguins in Game 5 on Thursday night.


The Predators are in a 3-2 hole with Game 6 coming up Sunday night in Nashville.


''It wasn't good,'' Laviolette said. ''It's not the first period that we were looking for and it didn't really get much better after that. Definitely things we could've done better defensively.''


Nashville rallied from a 2-0 deficit to tie the best-of-seven series and the home team has won all five games. Nashville is also a comfortable 9-1 in the playoffs at home, and teams that lost Game 5 of a tied Final have won the Stanley Cup four of the last eight times, including Pittsburgh in 2009.


But the Predators had little to enjoy from this one.


Phil Kessel scored his eighth of the playoffs and added two assists, while Sidney Crosby tallied three assists. Evgeni Malkin scored his 10th and had an assist, while Ron Hainsey also had a goal and an assist. Justin Schultz, Bryan Rust and Conor Sheary also scored for the Penguins, who have outscored Nashville 15-4 in Pittsburgh.


Rinne made six saves on nine shots, while Juuse Saros, making his second career playoff appearance, stopped 12 shots.


It was a familiar showing for Rinne: The three-time Vezina Trophy finalist allowed eight goals on just 36 shots during the first two games in Pittsburgh.


Rinne, the playoff leader in wins and goals-against average, rebounded in a big way for Games 3 and 4 in Nashville, limiting Pittsburgh to a just two goals on 52 shots as the Predators evened the series.


But Rinne struggled again Thursday in Pittsburgh, a place where he's never started and won in six career games. He gave up two goals in the first 6:43 of the game and it never got better.


''Obviously not the start you want to have,'' Rinne said. ''It seemed hard for us to get anything going. Right now we've just got to focus on Game 6 at home and put all our energy in that one.''


Rinne is now 1-8-2 lifetime against the Penguins - his lone win came in relief at Nashville - and he owns a career 5.15 goals-against average and .822 save percentage in Pittsburgh. Rinne has allowed 11 goals on 45 shots in seven periods of play during the Stanley Cup Final in Pittsburgh.


''We've got to be better in front of him. ... I don't think that necessarily they were bad goals,'' Laviolette said. ''Our guys have a tremendous amount of confidence him. We just have to do a better job in front of him.''


Crosby started the first-period surge for Pittsburgh when he split Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis on the opening shift of the game and hit the post. That shift led to a Predators' penalty and the game's first goal on Pittsburgh's ensuing power play, as Schultz beat Rinne with a point shot that went between his pads.


Rust beat Rinne to the glove side with a backhander a little more than five minutes later and Malkin made it 3-0 with 10.2 seconds left in the first period.


Saros relieved Rinne to start the second, but Pittsburgh upped its lead to 4-0 just 1:19 into the period on Sheary's goal from Crosby. Kessel scored his first in six games, making it 5-0 later in the period, while Hainsey capped Pittsburgh's second three-goal period of the game.

 

[CNOTES]

Blowouts the norm in Stanley Cup Final
June 8, 2017


Charles Barkley and hockey fans across the country have tuned in to watch the Stanley Cup Final between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators, no matter the score - and the score hasn't always been close.


Barkley said the NHL playoffs were more entertaining than the NBA's, and ratings are up considerably from a year ago when the Penguins beat the San Jose Sharks in six games.


But Pittsburgh's 6-0 win in Game 5 was the second true blowout of the series and the fourth decided by three or more goals.


Only three games were decided by three goals or more in the Final over the previous five years.


The home team has won each of the first five games of the Final for just the 12th time since the NHL went to a best-of-seven series in the final round in 1939, and for the first time since 2011.


Nashville won games by 4-1 and 5-1, but the Penguins' victory on Thursday night to take a 3-2 series lead was by far the most lopsided game of the Final. It was the fifth 6-goal beating in Cup Final history, meaning the game tied for the seventh-biggest blowout on record in this round.


It wasn't the worst blowout of this postseason, though; there were two 7-0 routs, including a Pittsburgh win over Ottawa in the Eastern Conference final.


No matter how the ice has tilted one way or another, this Final has earned some extra attention for the Nashville hockey effect with catfish and country music artists, from surprise anthem singers to Carrie Underwood, the wife of Predators captain Mike Fisher. Then there's the attraction of the Penguins looking to become the first team to repeat as Cup champions since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998.


NBC Sports reported an average of 4.23 million viewers through the first four games of the final, up 24 percent from last year.


''The playoffs in hockey have been amazing,'' said Barkley, who accepted commissioner Gary Bettman's invitation to attend Game 4 in Nashville. ''I'm not breaking earth-shattering news: The NBA Playoffs have not been very good. The best thing about my job is when I'm in work for two straight months, like the NHL playoffs, I'm in a room with 20 televisions. I watch pretty much every single hockey game.''


The Penguins and Predators have provided plenty of drama, from the roller-coaster play of Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne to the running feud between Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby and P.K. Subban. But there's still at least one more chance for the teams to provide a one-goal game or maybe even some overtime, which had been on pace to break the all-time record for a single postseason through three rounds.

 

[CNOTES]

Date W-L-T % Units Record


06/08/2017................... 0 - 2 - 0..................... 0.00%................ -10.50


06/05/2017....................0 - 2 - 0......................0.00%..................-10.50


06/03/2017................... 1 - 0 - 0................... 100.00%................ +5.00


05/31/2017................... 1 - 1 - 0 ....................50.00%..................... +0


05/29/2017................... 0 - 2 - 0..................... 0.00%................. -10.50




Totals............................2 - 6 - 0....................25.00%..................- 26.50

 

[CNOTES]

Sunday’s six-pack

Phil Steele’s top six teams in college football this season:


6) Penn State— Have 15 starters back this season.


5) Oklahoma— Wonder if coaching change will lower their rating?


4) USC— Last three times they were preseason top 10, they finished 22nd once and out of top 25 twice


3) Florida State— Play Alabama, Clemson Florida this year; none of them at home.


2) Ohio State— First two times Urban Meyer lost a bowl game, he won national title the next year. Buckeyes lost their bowl LY.


1) Alabama— Jump up to #67 in experience this year, after being #126 LY.


Sunday’s List of 13: Wrapping up a sports Saturday…….

13) RIP Adam West, 89, TV’s Batman from the late 60’s, one of my favorite TV shows when I was a little kid, maybe my first favorite TV show. Late in his life, West did voiceovers for animated TV shows; Showtime did a special couple years ago on his family’s (successful) efforts to get their dad a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.


Lot of famous actors were guest villains on Batman; the show was great fun. RIP, sir.


12) I’m in a 16-team dynasty fantasy baseball league, which means you keep your players from year-to-year. Our league is 12 years old; I’ve had Giancarlo Stanton on my team since he was an 18-year old in the Class A Florida State League.


So I turn the Marlins’ game on Saturday and Ichiro Suzuki is already on first base, Yelich is batting— I figure they gave Stanton the day off, but no, he got drilled on the wrist and has already left the game. This is not good.


Jose Abreu got drilled on the knee Friday night and left the game— he’s on my squad too. No bueno when your two best hitters are both hurt, though Abreu did come back and played Saturday night.


11) Which reminds me of a story: I’m coaching a Little League All-Star tournament in Spring Valley, NY, about two hours south of where I live. This is 1995; my team needs to beat the same team twice in one night to win the title- they only had to beat us once to win.


So the first inning of the first game, one of our batters gets hit; then my pitcher gets hit in the head while batting in the same inning. Kid is lying on the ground; as we’re trying to make sure he is OK, have to tell the 2nd game pitcher to warm up to pitch this game.


Out of the blue, one of our fans (we’re in the third base dugout) yells out: “Stop throwing at our players!!!” Now this is a game in a foreign environment; the nightcap, if there is one, will be an actual night game under the lights— I don’t need this. Umpires did a good job of keeping most everyone calm.


Story has a happy ending; we win the first game, the kid who got hit in the head showed lot of guts by pitching (and winning) the second game. We advanced to Maryland for the next round of the tournament, a great example of the players carrying their coach!!!


10) Clark Griffith and Rockies’ manager Bud Black are only two men in baseball history who won 100+ games as a pitcher, and then 600+ games as a manager. Griffith wound up owning the Washington Senators; he was 237-146 in a career than spanned from 1891-1914.


9) Cardinals shook up their coaching staff Friday and also DFA’d SS Jhonny Peralta. Apparently the assistant hitting coach was put on a leave of absence; hard to believe their slump is that guy’s fault.


8) South Florida’s leading scorer Geno Thorpe (15.1 pts/game) will play at Syracuse next season as a graduate transfer. Hope he has some warm clothes.


7) Rays’ OF Kevin Keirmaier broke his hip on an awkward slide at 1B this week, is on the DL.


6) Detroit Lions’ LT Taylor Decker tore his labrum, could be out 4-6 months.


5) Houston Astros have some hard decisions to make; if Dallas Keuchel’s neck injury is serious, then they have to trade for one, probably two starting pitchers. Even if Keuchel comes back, the Houston pitching is shallow- they have a ton of good position players.


4) Milwaukee Brewers lost their last six extra-inning games.


3) Quote of the Day, part 2, from ESPN.com and Washington Nationals’ GM Mike Rizzo, which refer to the rescheduling of a rained out Nationals-Orioles game to this past Thursday:


“It rained all day that day (May 11), and the forecast said it would rain until 9:30 or 10. I sat in Buck’s (Showalter) office at 6:30, and we talked about it for 20 minutes. He was 100 percent on-board. He didn’t say anything about not canceling the game.


Their GM [Dan Duquette] was nowhere to be found for three, four hours. We wanted to play the next day. They refused to play then, so the next [open] day was [Thursday]. They drove 32 miles to get there. We flew 3,000 [expletive] miles, and we beat their [behinds]. So quit your whining. Quit whining.”


2) College football teams with best turnover ratio last year:
Washington/Western Michigan, both +18. Ohio State +!5


Teams wth worst turnover ratio last year:
Purdue/Southern Miss, both -17, East Carolina/Bowling Green, both -16.


1) Three college football teams with most returning experience on the offensive line this year:
San Jose State, Tennessee, Auburn

 

[CNOTES]

NHL playoffs
Game 5


Home team won first five Finals games, and last eight Nashville-Pittsburgh tilts overall; Penguins are 11-4 in last 15 games with Nashville- six of last eight series games went over. Predators won four of last five home games; over is 4-2 in their last six games. Pittsburgh lost last three road games, outscored 11-3. Penguins lost last three visits to Music City, outscored 14-3. Over is 4-2 in their last six games. Penguins won Cup LY and in 2009; they’re 4-1 overall in Stanley Cup final series. Nashville is in its first Stanley Cup final. Predators are 4-14 on power play in series; Penguins are 2-22. Pittsburgh wins second Stanley Cup in a row if they win this game.


Stanley Cup final

Nashville-Pittsburgh


Pitt 5-3, -$160, O5.5


Pitt 4-1, -$140, U5.5


Nash 5-1, -$150, O5.5


Nash 4-1, -$135, U5.5


Pitt 6-0, -$165, O5.5

 

[CNOTES]

Game 6 - Pens at Predators
June 9, 2017


Stanley Cup Finals Best Bet
Pittsburgh vs. Nashville – Game 6


Sportsbook.ag Odds: Pittsburgh (+120), Nashville (-140); Total set at 5.5


The Pittsburgh Penguins kept alive the trend of home teams winning in this series in a big way in Game 5 with a dominant 6-0 win to put themselves one win away from back-to-back Stanley Cup championships.


Right from the outset Pittsburgh jumped all over Nashville with a goal in the first two minutes and there was no looking back from there.


G Pekka Rinne's disastrous outings in Pittsburgh continued, as he was pulled early once again, and the Predators head home for Game 6 fighting to stay alive. Can Nashville force a Game 7 or is this series all but over?


Odds per - Sportsbook.ag
Best Bet: Pittsburgh ML (+120)


Although I've said before that I have no problem backing a team and a goalie in a game following the netminder getting pulled, the patience the Predators have with Rinne has got to be wavering.


While I do believe we will see a much better performance by Rinne back at home – meaning 'under 5.5 is worth strong consideration – I don't think it will be enough for Nashville to force a Game 7.


Of the three Stanley Cups the Pittsburgh Penguins have won in the history of their franchise, all three of them have been clinched on the road. Last year it took a trip to San Jose for the Penguins to lift Lord Stanley's Mug and those positive memories should help them be much better in a similar situation here.


The fact that they absolutely buried Nashville from start to finish in Game 5 not only planted more seeds of doubt on Nashville's side, but it also renewed the tremendous confidence the Penguins have in themselves to get the job done.


Heck, Evgeni Malkin even said before the game that he knew Phil Kessel would score in Game 5, and wouldn't you know it, Kessel found himself on the scoresheet.


While many are likely going to continue to ride the streak of home teams winning in this series, it was just a few days ago where I outlined the history of that trend and why I believed no matter who won Game 5, this series would be over in six games. I'm not about to go back on those thoughts now, especially considering the dominant way Pittsburgh owned Game 5 from start to finish.


Pittsburgh has had a bit of trouble closing things out in their first try during these playoffs as they've needed at least two chances at moving on before they did in each round, but if trends are your thing, it's interesting to note that the Penguins closed out Round 1 at home, Round 2 on the road, Round 3 at home, and now they've got a chance to to finish Round 4 on the road.


There will be one win by a road team in this series, that outlined history suggests in all likelihood it will happen. And while Nashville has been a much different and nearly unbeatable at home this year in the playoffs, it really looked like they were getting to the end of their rope on multiple fronts in Game 5.


Confidence in Rinne is all but gone, and with the Penguins smelling blood, they find a way to close things out and clinch yet another Stanley Cup victory away from home.

 

[CNOTES]

Health of Preds' D Ellis still in question
June 10, 2017


NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Pekka Rinne is a friendly, polite man off the ice. Slipping the puck past the Nashville Predators goaltender is one of the few ways to anger the 6-foot-5 Finn.


Pucks bouncing past him on the NHL's biggest stage infuriate him. Rinne chopped his stick against a goalpost not once, but twice after giving up a fifth and final goal a year ago when Nashville was ousted from the playoffs.


That was just Game 7 in the second round.


Now Rinne goes into the biggest game of his career Sunday night needing yet another home victory to force both the defending champs and the Stanley Cup Final to a deciding seventh game back in Pittsburgh. And Rinne spent the past 40 minutes stewing on the bench as the Penguins finished off a 6-0 rout Thursday night in easily Nashville's worst playoff loss.


''You have those thoughts that why (is) the puck getting deflected in off our guys or something like that,'' Rinne said Saturday. ''You try to work so hard that the luck is also on your side. When bounces not going your way, sometimes you question, have second thoughts in your head, but that's life.''


The goalie so competitive he doesn't like teammates scoring on him in practice is back in Nashville where he's been nearly unbeatable over the past two postseasons at 13-1.


Rinne has a 9-1 record this spring with a 1.44 goals-against average and .949 save percentage in Nashville. He's allowed two or fewer goals in eight of those 10 games and tied Antti Niemi with his 36th playoff win for the most in NHL history by a Finnish-born goaltender.


Yet the goalie and the Predators stand between Pittsburgh and a big chunk of history.


The Penguins are trying to become the first team to win the Stanley Cup in consecutive seasons in nearly two decades since Detroit repeated in 1997 and 1998. One more win gives the Penguins the franchise's fifth Stanley Cup, tying them with Edmonton for sixth all-time.


All four of Pittsburgh's Stanley Cups have been clinched on the road with Chicago the last team to win the Cup on home ice back in 2015.


''Opportunities like this, they don't come around often, so you want to make the most of them,'' Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby said.


The Predators haven't scored a goal in 63 minutes, 23 seconds since Filip Forsberg's empty-net goal in Game 4. So Rinne will need to be at his best to give Nashville a chance at its first Game 7 and Pittsburgh's third this postseason.


Rinne understands coach Peter Laviolette was trying to wake up the Predators by pulling the veteran after allowing three goals on nine shots in the first 20 minutes of Game 5. Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel all put up at least two points each in that game.


Yet there's been no question that Rinne, who has never won a start in Pittsburgh, will be in net Sunday night.


''Right now our backs are against the wall, and this is our opportunity and I think you try to do anything in your power and prepare the best you can for this one,'' Rinne said.


The Predators know exactly what they need to do better against Pittsburgh. Part of that is being better in front of Rinne.


''We made mistakes in front of him,'' Laviolette said. ''So I know there's things that we can do that can support our goaltender better.''


Nashville may be without defenseman Ryan Ellis, who didn't finish Thursday night's loss. Ellis was among several Predators who did not take part in an optional practice Saturday. Ellis plays with Roman Josi on Nashville's top defensive pair and is tied for third with 13 points this postseason.


The Penguins skated in Pittsburgh before flying to Nashville. Center Nick Bonino, who has missed three straight games with an injured left foot, did not practice for the Pens.


Pittsburgh couldn't close out Columbus, Washington or Ottawa the first chance the Penguins had in each of their previous three playoff series. Coach Mike Sullivan thinks his Penguins are playing better, harder and smarter over the past two games.


''When these guys play a committed, inspired game the way they do and they execute, then their talent and their instincts are going to take over,'' Sullivan said. ''And when they do that, they're hard to defend.''


Having the Stanley Cup in Bridgestone Arena gives the Predators plenty of motivation as well in the first game they've faced elimination this postseason. Nashville went 3-1 in such games last year.


''Our motivation is the Cup,'' Nashville captain Mike Fisher said. ''We want to win it.''

 

[CNOTES]

Defensemen help Penguins play fast in Stanley Cup Final
June 10, 2017


Ron Hainsey avoiding a big hit and carrying the puck from end to end isn't what the Pittsburgh Penguins ask of him or any other defenseman not named Kris Letang.


Out long term after neck surgery, Letang isn't a part of this run, but a key adjustment by Hainsey and the other defensemen in the Stanley Cup Final against the Nashville Predators is a major reason why Pittsburgh is one victory away from a second consecutive championship.


For the first four games of the series - even the two they won - the Penguins struggled to hold onto the puck and drive play, something that changed in a 6-0 blowout in Game 5.


Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel played a role in finishing, but it all started from the back end with a style of play that emulates Letang.


''One thing we got going early on was we kind of broke the puck out as a group together,'' Hainsey said. ''We had good communication in our zone working the puck out quick and with speed.


''If we can get our forwards the puck early in shifts when they got a lot of energy and before they have to stop and play defense, they're some of the best forwards in the world. They can make some stuff happen out there.''


When the Penguins talk about ''playing fast,'' this is what they mean. It's not about blazing speed, though they have some of that, but about moving the puck quickly and forcing even the stingiest of defensive opponents to get back on their heels.


The Penguins' unheralded defense of Trevor Daley, Justin Schultz, Olli Maatta, Brian Dumoulin, Ian Cole and Hainsey lacks the No. 1 anchor present on every Cup winner over the past decade.


Coach Mike Sullivan pointed to Pittsburgh's transition game and up-ice speed as an area that could improve in the series.


Tweaks made by Sullivan and assistant coach Jacques Martin got the best out of that blue line Thursday with two goals and three assists.


''I thought (Game 5) might have been their best night as a group of six,'' Sullivan said on a conference call Friday. ''They doing all the little things, I think, that don't necessarily show up on the score sheet, or you can't necessarily quantify in a statistic, but those little things add up to helping a team win games.''


Breaking the puck out of the defensive zone is what Sullivan wants from his defensemen, along with blocking shots and defending. Crosby, Malkin, Kessel and those other skilled forwards can't do anything without the puck.


So the goal was simple: Get it to them quickly.


''We just played simple, moved the puck up quick and our forwards did a good job of using their speed and playing down low, hanging on to pucks,'' Schultz said. We were ''just trying to move it up to our forwards and play the way we've been playing all year.''


It's not the way the Penguins were playing in the first four games of the series as Nashville negated their speed and controlled the neutral zone. That's a big reason why the Predators had 123 shots to the Penguins' 91.


It was all even in Game 5, which didn't go unnoticed to Peter Laviolette as far as differences in play.


''Speed would be one of it,'' Laviolette said. ''They were quicker. We'll look to make those adjustments (in practice). But we've got to play a better game.''


The Penguins played almost the perfect tactical game to take a 3-2 lead in the series, which is why Hainsey said they'd be in good shape if they could replicate that performance in Game 6 Sunday in Nashville. That'll take another team effort from the defense.


''We know we're no Kris Letangs back here,'' Schultz said. ''We're just trying to each step up a little bit and it's been working so far. We've got to get one more win.''

 

[CNOTES]

NHL Stanley Cup Final Game 6 Betting Preview: Penguins at Predators


Pittsburgh Penguins at Nashville Predators (-140, 5.5)


Penguins lead series 3-2


The Pittsburgh Penguins are poised to make history, bidding to become the first team to win back-to-back Stanley Cups since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997-98. The Penguins will go for the clincher when they visit the Nashville Predators on Sunday night in Game 6 of a best-of-seven series that has been defined by home dominance.


Captain Sidney Crosby and Co. moved within one win of hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup for the third time in nine seasons by demolishing the Predators 6-0 in Game 5, but Pittsburgh has been outscored 9-2 in dropping both matchups at Bridgestone Arena. "Still a lot of work to be done," Crosby acknowledged. "We know we're going to face a desperate team. We've already played two games there and know the atmosphere and know how much they feed off their fans. We've still got a lot of work to do there." So do the Predators, who rebounded from a pair of drubbings to win Games 3 and 4 and must hold serve again in Smashville, where they are 9-1 during the postseason. " ... What happened in Game 5 is gone. We know what we need to do in Game 6," Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said. "We know how we're capable of playing, especially in our building here and look to get ourselves a big win."


TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBC, CBC, Sportsnet, TVAS


LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened the Predators as -150 home favorites for Game 6, but they've been bet down slightly to the current number of Predators -140. The total is on the board at 5.5.


PROBABLE GOALIE MATCHUP: Matt Murray (PIT) vs. Pekka Rinne (NAS)


Murray - W/L: 6-3, GAA: 1.87, SAVE %: .931
Rinne - W/L: 14-7, GAA: 2.00, SAVE %: .928


INJURY REPORT:


Penguins - D O. Maatta (Probable Sunday, nose), C N. Bonino (Doubtful Sunday, lower body), RW T. Kuhnhackl (Out indefinitely, lower body), D C. Ruhwedel (Out indefinitely, concussion), D K. Letang (Out for season, neck).


Predators - D R. Ellis (Questionable Sunday, upper body), C R. Johansen (Out for season, thigh), LW K. Fiala (Out for season, leg).


ABOUT THE PENGUINS: Crosby won the Conn Smythe Trophy a year ago in leading Pittsburgh to the Cup and is lifting his game when it matters most, collecting three assists in Game 5 to give him seven points in the series and 27 in the postseason -- one behind teammate Evgeni Malkin. "I don't know that I've ever been around an athlete -- not just a hockey player but an athlete -- that is as driven as Sid is," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "He sees the opportunity in front of us, and he's doing everything within his power to try to help us be successful." Malkin, the 2009 Conn Smythe winner, is in position to win it twice with a goal and an assist in Game 5 to boost his playoff-leading total.


ABOUT THE PREDATORS: Veteran netminder Pekka Rinne was yanked for the second time in the series after allowing three goals on nine shots in Game 5 but, like his team, has been superb at Bridgestone Arena, turning aside 50 of 52 shots in Games 3 and 4. "I’m worried about his record now at home, and it’s been outstanding,” Predators captain Mike Fisher said of Rinne. “We gotta focus on that game. We gotta be better for our goaltender, no question. You look at the shots, and they’re even, but it’s scoring chances, quality chances. That’s not our goaltender’s fault.” Center Colton Sissons was cleared to play after receiving a match penalty in Game 5, but has registered only one assist in the past four games.


TRENDS:


* Home team is 8-0 in the last eight meetings.
* Penguins 1-4 in their last five road games.
* Under is 4-0 in Penguins last four after scoring five goals or more in their previous game.
* Under is 8-2-3 in Predators last 13 home games.