SATURDAY’S RESULT
Home Team in Caps
NASHVILLE 5, Pittsburgh 1 – PIT leads 2-1
PREDATORS RESPOND ON HOME ICE, EARN FIRST STANLEY CUP FINAL WIN
Down 1-0 after 20 minutes, the Predators scored five unanswered goals – including two in a 42-second span of the second period – to earn their first Stanley Cup Final win and cut their series deficit in half.
* The Predators improved to 8-1 on home ice this postseason (with their lone loss in OT), outscoring the opposition 30-14. Pekka Rinne, who made 27 saves, owns a 1.49 goals-against average and .949 save percentage in those contests.
* Three Predators registered multiple points, including defensemen Roman Josi (1-2—3) and Mattias Ekholm (1-1—2). Nashville blueliners have combined for 14-36—50 during the playoffs (19 GP), tops in the NHL.
* Ekholm (1-9—10) became the fourth Predators defenseman to reach double-digits in scoring this postseason, joining Josi (6-8—14), Ryan Ellis (5-7—12) and P.K. Subban(2-9—11). Only two other teams in NHL history have had four blueliners each record at least 10 points in the same playoff year: the 1984 Oilers and 1993 Kings.
* Josi, who factored on all three Nashville goals in the middle frame, registered his sixth tally of the playoffs, most among defensemen. Elias notes that he became the first blueliner to post three points in one period of a Stanley Cup Final game since Pittsburgh’s Larry Murphy on May 23, 1991 vs. MNS (0-3—3 in 1st period).
PUT THE BROOMS AWAY
With Nashville’s win, there will not be a sweep in the Stanley Cup Final for a record 18th consecutive series (since 1998 DET: 4-0 W vs. WSH). The longest prior such streak (since the Stanley Cup Final went to the best-of-seven format in 1939) was seven straight series, from 1953-59 and 1961-67.
DID YOU KNOW?
Tennessee became the 15th different U.S. state to host a Stanley Cup Final game since the NHL was founded in 1917-18, joining California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington.
The District of Columbia and four Canadian provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec) also have hosted Stanley Cup Final games since the League's founding.
GUENTZEL CONTINUES HISTORIC POSTSEASON
Penguins forward Jake Guentzel opened the scoring in Game 3 with his League-leading 13th goal of the postseason (22 GP), continuing his climb up the NHL record book:
* Guentzel’s 13 playoff goals are one shy of the single-year NHL rookie record, established by Minnesota’s Dino Ciccarelli in 1981 (14 in 19 GP).
* Guentzel’s 20 postseason points (13-7—20) also are one shy of the single-year NHL rookie mark, set by Ciccarelli in 1981 (14-7—21 in 19 GP) and equaled by Philadelphia’s Ville Leino in 2010 (7-14—21 in 19 GP).
* Guentzel, who has scored in each of the first three games of the Stanley Cup Final (4-0—4), is the second rookie to accomplish that feat since the NHL took control of the Stanley Cup in 1926-27. The other: Ciccarelli in 1981 vs. NYI (3-2—5).
* Elias adds that Guentzel is the first player, rookie or veteran, to score in each of the first three games of the Stanley Cup Final since 1997, when Detroit’s Steve Yzermandid so vs. PHI (3-0—3).
* Guentzel’s four total goals in the series are one shy of the NHL rookie record in the Stanley Cup Final, established by Boston’s Roy Conacher in 1939 vs. TOR (5 GP) and matched by Boston’s Brad Marchand in 2011 vs. VAN (7 GP).
LOOSE PUCKS
The Predators posted the 34th comeback victory of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs (in 84 GP, 40.5%) . . . Nineteen different players have scored at least one goal for Nashville this postseason (following firsts by Mattias Ekholm and Craig Smith in Game 3). Elias notes that is two shy of the NHL record, set by the 1987 Flyers (21) . . . Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (56-104—160 in 145 GP) collected one assist to move into a tie for 20th place on the NHL’s all-time playoff points list, with Mike Bossy, Gordie Howe, Al MacInnis and Bobby Smith . . . ICYMI: The Ducks signed head coach Randy Carlyle to a one-year extension . . . Fans voted the 1991-92 Penguins, 1976-77 Canadiens and 1987-88 Oilers as Nos. 2, 3 and 4, respectively, on the list of Greatest NHL Teams . . . The Predators announced that their Game 4 tailgate party will include the “Music City Gives Back” concert, featuring Rodney Atkins, Kip Moore, Granger Smith, Cole Taylor and Brett Young . . . Grammy- and CMA-winning singer/songwriter Alan Jackson played a free concert on Lower Broadway prior to Game 3.
2017 NHL SCOUTING COMBINE CONCLUDES IN BUFFALO
The 2017 NHL Scouting Combine presented by adidas, featuring 104 players eligible for this year’s draft – including top-ranked North American skaters Nolan Patrick andNico Hischier – concluded Saturday with fitness testing in Buffalo.
SNEAK PEEK AT MONDAY’S ACTION
All Times Eastern
Pittsburgh @ Nashville, PIT leads 2-1, 8 p.m., NBC, CBC, SN, TVAS
the information above was supplied by the NHL PR department
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