Pittsburgh Dominates the Predators, Leaves Nashville With Questions
The Pittsburgh Penguins took Game 2 last night with the final score of 4-1. The Penguins were led by rookie Jake Guentzel where he had a pair of goals that increased his total to 12 goals. Jake Guentzel five game-winning goals are the most for rookies and his 12th playoff goal surpassed Jeremy Roenick (Chicago Blackhawks,1990) & Brad Marchand (Boston Bruins 2011) for the second most by a rookie in a single postseason. The lone goal scored for the Predators was Pontus Aberg. In the start of the 3rd period the Penguins scored two goals in a matter of 15 seconds. Pekka Rinne was pulled and the Penguins have a commanding lead in the series up 2-0 heading to Nashville for games 3 & 4.
Jared McCabe: The Predators were heading into Game 2 with confidence knowing they played well in Game 1 and knowing they held the Penguins without a shot on net for 37 minutes. That confidence carried over to periods one and two with Pontus Aberg scoring the first goal and getting the Predators off to a fast start. But the lead didn’t hold up for long because Penguins rookie Jake Guentzel found a hole in Pekka Rinnes glove side and the puck went slowly in for his 11th of the postseason. The second period was another strong period for both teams and going into the third, it looked like it the Predators had the momentum. That wasn’t the case because right off the faceoff to begin the third period, that rookie again Jake Guentzel put the rebound in to take the 2-1 lead and that's where it would go downhill for the Predators. Then in three minutes Scott Wilson would score and 15 seconds later Evegnie Malkin would join the party and that would increase the score to 4-1. Pekka Rinnie was pulled early in the third and the Penguins would go on to win 4-1.
Caden Balint: The Predators started off game two like they did game one, with speed, physicality, and a high momentum, and it showed in the shot category. About 12 minutes in Predators forward Pontus Aberg would skate through the Penguins zone and he would score on a great move to make it 1-0 in favor of the Predators. Then another four minutes later Jake Guentzel would score his first of the game to tie it up at 1-1. The second period was scoreless as Pekka Rinne would make seven saves and Matt Murray would make fourteen. Then going into the third the Predators hopes just kept diminishing as only 10 seconds into the period Jake Guentzel would score his second of the night and 12th of the playoffs and the game-winning goal for game two giving him five game-winning goal this playoff year. This puts him second all time for most goals scored by a rookie in the playoffs (highest being 14 goals.) He also has the most goals on the Penguins and the most in the playoffs. After the Guentzel goal that gave the Penguins the 2-1 lead it took another 3 minutes before they would score again as Scott Wilson would score off of a bounce that went off a Nashville defender to make it 3-1. Then no more than 15 seconds later Evgeni Malkin would score on a snipe to give the Penguins the 4-1 lead. Another Penguins goal would be scored on the powerplay but it would eventually be called off due to an offsides. Pekka Rinne was pulled in the last period as he let in 4 goals again and after he let in 2 goals in 15 seconds.
