I’m back. The worst hockey commenter in the game returns to fill your computer screen or mobile devices with just outright utter nonsense. Tonight, game three of the NHL Stanley Cup finals is upon us and this time it’s in my neck of the woods, in Nashville, Tenn. as the Predators try to actually win a single game in the series against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
So, yeah. The Penguins lead the series 2-0.
As always, scroll on down for the live blog. Keep reading for the press release from the NHL.
Another milestone in the franchise history of the Nashville Predators will be achieved by sundown.
As the Stanley Cup Final shifts to Music City, the Preds and Bridgestone Arena will host the Cup Final for the first time with Game Three tonight against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Nashville trails 2-0 in the series that saw Pittsburgh win Games One and Two at PPG Paints Arena, and the chance now exists for the Predators to take two at home, just as their opponents have done.
The Predators remain without the services of Ryan Johansen and Kevin Fiala, and forward Colin Wilson did not participate in Games One or Two due to injury. Penguins Head Coach Mike Sullivan said Friday that forward Nick Bonino is day-to-day with a lower-body injury and will be a gametime decision tonight.
Filip Forsberg continues to lead the Preds with eight goals and 15 points in the postseason, followed by Ryan Ellis with 12, and then a four-way tie between Colton Sissons, Viktor Arvidsson, Roman Josi and P.K. Subban with 11 points. Sissons has tallied on six occasions while Josi, Ellis and James Neal have five goals each. Forward Pontus Aberg has four points (2g-2a) in his last four games and Captain Mike Fisher has three assists in the Final thus far. Pekka Rinne is 12-6 for the Preds with a .929 save percentage in the playoffs.
Evgeni Malkin paces the Penguins with 26 points, followed by Sidney Crosby with 22 and Phil Kessel with 20. Forward Jake Guentzel has 12 goals in the playoffs – including three in the Final – while Malkin has nine. Matt Murray is 5-1 with a .943 save percentage in the postseason.
As the Predators look for their first win in the Stanley Cup Final, it’s all about two items for the home team:
Confidence Aplenty:
Head Coach Peter Laviolette said it best on Thursday:
“You would think at the possibility of leaving Pittsburgh without a win, that might shake the confidence,” Laviolette told the media upon returning to Nashville. “I can tell you that it doesn’t. I just met with the guys. I can see it in their eyes.”
Indeed, the Predators enter tonight’s game with a slew of confidence, despite the fact they trail Pittsburgh 2-0. There are reasons for it – namely that the Preds have been happy with at least five out of the six periods of hockey they’ve played to this point of the Final. There aren’t gross amounts of errors that need to be corrected. Instead, the Predators say there’s no reason to think they can’t take at least one game at home over the next three days – maybe two.
The game is on NBC Sports Net at 8 p.m. Watch it with me.
