Penguins explode in third, take 2-0 series lead on Preds
PITTSBURGH -- Rookie Jake Guentzel scored twice to increase his playoffs-leading goal total to 12 and the Pittsburgh Penguins erupted for three goals early in the third period Wednesday night in a 4-1 win over the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final at PPG Paints Arena.
The defending champion Penguins own a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, which shifts to Nashville for Game 3 on Saturday.
With the game tied 1-1 through two periods on goals by Pontus Aberg and Guentzel, it took just 10 seconds into the third for Guentzel -- who scored the winner in Game 1 -- to get his second of the night.
He got a long rebound of a shot by Bryan Rust and took advantage of an open quarter of the net to make it 2-1.
It was a Pittsburgh record for fastest playoff goal at the start of a period.
That wasn't the end of the Penguins' quick start in the period.
Phil Kessel sent a shot toward the net from the right wing, and it glanced off teammate Scott Wilson, then hit Nashville's Vern Fiddler's skate and went under goaltender Pekka Rinne's pads at 3:13 to make it 3-1.
Just 15 seconds later, Evgeni Malkin scored off of a two-on-one, firing a perfect shot over Rinne's glove for a 4-1 lead. That gave Pittsburgh three goals in the first 3:28 of the third.
It was enough for Nashville coach Peter Laviolette to send in backup goalie Juuse Saros in to replace Rinne.
Rinne stopped 21 of 25 shots. He allowed four goals on 11 shots in Game 1 and has allowed 20 goals over his past six games after allowing just 16 over his first 11 playoff games.
Pittsburgh goaltender Matt Murray stopped 37 of 38 Nashville shots.
Chris Kunitz had two assists for the Penguins for a second game in a row.
A strong individual effort by Aberg gave Nashville a 1-0 lead at 12:57 of the first. Aberg, cutting in from the left wall, got past Pittsburgh defenseman Olli Maatta, who fumbled the puck, and swept across just above the crease, patiently holding the puck and roofing it past Murray.
Guentzel tied it 1-1 at 16:36 of the first, four seconds after a Penguins power play expired. Guentzel, at the right post, took two whacks at a rebound of a Conor Sheary shot. He lifted the second one, and it found a tiny sliver of space between Rinne's left arm and his side.
Nashville led in shots 18-12 at the end of the first, thanks to a late flurry. That gave Pittsburgh as many shots as it had in Game 1.
By the end of the second, the Predators' shot advantage was 32-19, but it remained 1-1, thanks to a stellar effort from Murray.
NOTES: Penguins C Matt Cullen left in the first period briefly after being hit from behind into the boards by Predators D Matt Irwin. There was no penalty. ... Pittsburgh C Nick Bonino needed assistance to the locker room after blocking a shot off of his left ankle area in the first, but returned. ... Pittsburgh RW Patric Hornqvist redirected the puck past G Juuse Saros at 6:48 of the third on a power play, but the goal was waved off after a review determined the Penguins were offside. ... Penguins C Evgeni Malkin and Nashville D P.K. Subban -- two of the biggest names in the game -- fought at 12:14 of the third, with Malkin picking up an extra roughing penalty. ... Pittsburgh made no lineup changes, meaning LW Carl Hagelin was a healthy scratch. ... Nashville also went with the same lineup as in Game 1.