After an offensive onslaught, the Pittsburgh Penguins are one win away from repeating as Stanley Cup champions. The Penguins hung six goals on the Predators in Game 5 on Thursday in a 6-0 shutout victory in Pittsburgh. The Penguins now have a 3-2 series lead.
Sidney Crosby came alive in Game 5, with three assists on the night. Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin also shone in the victory, as the pair each had two points.
It was all Penguins from puck drop onwards, as Justin Schultz got Pittsburgh on the board a minute and a half into the game on the power play. The shot snuck through Pekka Rinne for the Penguins first power play tally since Game 1.
Bryan Rust then doubled the Penguins lead 6:43 into the first period, with a wicked backhander that fooled Rinne.
The Penguins got one more past the Predators netminder in the first period, on Malkin’s 3-0 tally with 11 seconds to play. Rinne lasted just one period, as he allowed three goals on nine shots over 20 minutes of play.
Juuse Saros took over in net for the Predators for the final 40 minutes of the game.
In the middle of all the goals, Crosby and P.K. Subban’s antics came to a head on the ice. As the pair got tangled up behind the net, Crosby pushed Subban’s head into the ice, which garnered a pair of matching minors for both sides.
The Penguins increased their lead in the second period, as Conor Sheary put Pittsburgh up 4-0 just 1:19 into the second period on one of Saros’ first shots faced in the game.
Kessel’s 5-0 tally came seven minutes later, on a shot from the middle of the slot that caught Saros low glove side.
The Penguins capped off their offensive rally with their sixth goal with 3:20 left in the second period. Ron Hainsey got his second goal of the postseason on a tap-in at the side of the Predators cage.
Saros ended the evening with 11 saves on 14 shots. The Predators and Penguins both had 24 shots by game’s end.
Game 6 will be in Nashville on Sunday evening at 7 p.m.
Pete Weber’s Postgame Report
