6 takeaways from Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final
We've got ourselves a series, friends.
The Nashville Predators won Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final over the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1 on Saturday, and now trail the best-of-seven series 2-1, with Game 4 set for Monday night.
Here are six takeaways after a convincing and impressive Preds win in a rocking Music City.
Pekka's back
Pekka Rinne looked like Pekka Rinne on Saturday, and that's a big reason why the series will go back to Pittsburgh.
It was a bit of a shaky start for the Finn, as he seemed to be battling the puck. Considering Pittsburgh was up 1-0 only three minutes in, if Rinne didn't find his game/confidence, this series could have been deemed all but officially over.
But Rinne was exceptional in the second period, stopping all 13 shots he faced, including two big stops a few moments after Nashville took its first lead of the series by scoring twice in 42 seconds. He kicked out a low Phil Kessel drive from the right wing before robbing Chris Kunitz on the rebound, moving left to right to make a brilliant glove save and keep his team in the lead.
If Kunitz ties it up, who knows what happens?
Rinne finished with 27 saves and outplayed Matt Murray. Precisely what the Preds needed.
P.K.'s a prophet
P.K. Subban guaranteed a Game 3 victory. P.K. Subban was very much right.
While Subban didn't record a point, he was quietly a force Saturday, playing a game-high 25:53 (20:30 at even strength) and a ridiculous 3:02 shorthanded. No. 76 was a big reason why Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were held shotless in the same playoff game for the first time in their careers.
Ask yourself: how could a team possibly trade Subban? It's insane. And appreciate the fact P.K.'s playing for the Cup. That's about as good as it gets.
Hockey city
Nashvile was up for its first Stanley Cup Final game. It enjoyed every minute of it.
The tweets were flying from the moment warmups began: it was loud, very loud, arguably the loudest ever, at the Bridgestone Arena, where Predators fans took "playoff atmosphere" to a whole other level.
Murray was ruthlessly jeered, catfish were thrown to the ice, and a good - and likely drunken - time was had by all (except the Penguins).
The Predators improved to 8-1 in the playoffs at home, outscoring their opponents 30-14. They're all but unbeatable at home, which means this series could be heading back to Pennsylvania all tied up.
"This is a place we love to play," James Neal said after his team's win. "I'm proud to be a part of it."
Murray will start Game 4
Don't do it. Just, don't. Forget asking who'll start in goal for the Penguins in Game 4, don't even think about the question.
Murray didn't have his best game, beaten four times to his glove side, but he'll be in the Pittsburgh crease when Game 4 begins Monday night. He has to be. Why? Because he's Pittsburgh's No. 1 goalie. He was last spring, he was this season, and while Marc-Andre Fleury deserves a ton of credit for playing an integral role in getting the Penguins back to the final, the Flower's the backup and remains the backup - period.
These are the Western Conference champion Predators. They beat the Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, and Anaheim Ducks to get to the final. They were never going to roll over, despite their injuries. A little respect, please.
Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan deserves credit for going back to Murray when he did. But once he did, Murray became his guy the rest of the way. To go back to Fleury now would be to overthink the issue.
Pittsburgh hasn't played very good hockey through three games, but they're still only two wins away from the Cup - and that's one closer than Nashville is.
Josi the god
The best word to describe Roman Josi's Game 3 performance: Beastly.
Josi was an absolute force, scoring his sixth goal of the playoffs (to lead all defensemen) and adding two assists. He's the first defenseman to record three points in a Cup Final game since Duncan Keith in 2010.
Arguably the most underrated d-man in hockey, Josi played 23:36, including over five minutes on special teams. He finished with a 58.62 Corsi For percentage.
"He's as consistent a player as there is in the NHL," said his head coach Peter Laviolette, according to the Star Tribune's Michael Russo.
Fact.
Preds stepped up
In order for the Preds to get back into this series, Rinne had to return to form, and certain players had to step up. They did.
Neal's goal was his first since Game 2 against the Ducks, Craig Smith and Mattias Ekholm found the back of the net for the first time in the playoffs, Calle Jarnkrok's two-assist game was his first multi-point effort of the second season, and Frederick Gaudreau's second career goal (both coming in the postseason) gave Nashville a lead it wouldn't relinquish. Huge contributions, all.
Nineteen different Predators have scored a goal in the postseason, a club record. Mike Fisher can make it 20, and you get the feeling he will, perhaps as soon as Monday.
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)