PITTSBURGH VS NASHVILLE
BRIDGESTONE ARENA – NASHVILLE, TN
8:00 PM EST. NBC
PENS LEAD 2-0
Tonight the Pens enter enemy territory for the first time in the SCF, travelling to Bridgestone Arena for game 3 and a chance to take a commanding 3-0 series lead.
This game is going to be insane. Preds fans might only like hockey because it reminds them of their senior homecoming or something.
https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/870705947689099264
But Preds fans know how to do two things: 1. Bitch about hockey on the internet and 2. Get wasted and yell. If you think Montreal fans are annoying get ready to have that dialed up to 11. Any time a Pens player breathes near a Predator there’s gonna be that audible boo, and because the NHL sucks, the crowd will probably buy at least one powerplay. Hell in a cell here we come.
The Pens haven’t exactly been stellar in game 3’s to this point either.
- Game 3 vs Columbus: 5-4 OT win. (Pens trailed 3-1 after the 1st, then the legend of Jake n’ bake began)
- Game 3 vs Washington: 3-2 OT Loss. (This is the game where Niskanen tried to maim Crosby)
- Game 3 vs Ottawa: 5-1 Loss. (Pens got their fucking doors blown off)
We can talk goalies and shooting percentage and corsi until we are red-faced and screaming but none of that shit will matter unless the Pens come out ready to deal with this atmosphere. There’s no room for a slow start or a few bad shifts in the first. Trying to play catch-up in that arena is a no go.
Pens gotta come out and punch first.
Lines: I guess Hagelin is pissed off about not playing or something. Bonino is a game time decision after having is ankle decapitated by a slap shot.
Pittsburgh:
Guentzel-Crosby-Rust
Kunitz-Malkin-Kessel
Sheary-Bonino-Rowney
Wilson/Hagelin-Cullen-Hornqvist
Dumoulin-Hainsey
Maatta-Daley
Cole-Schultz
Murray-Fleury
Nashville:
Forsberg-Sissons-Aberg
Arvidsson-Fisher-Neal
Wilson-Jarnkrok-Smith
Gaudreau-Fiddler-Watson
Ekholm-Subban
Josi-Ellis
Irwin-Weber
Rinne-Saros
A ton has been made all playoffs about the Pens getting beat up in the possession department during the playoffs, but continuing to find ways to win games. It’s easy to say oh they’re just lucky, but as it continues to happen over and over again, I think it’s worth at least entertaining the idea that we need to look deeper to see what’s going on.
I thought these two tweets did a good job looking at what might actually be happening with the Pens.
SHOT:
Was also surprised that the Pens were only shooting at 8.75% as a team at 5v5. Highest in the playoffs but not "holy shit this is voodoo."
— Corey Sznajder (@ShutdownLine) June 1, 2017
CHASER:
Why is it so hard to accept a team with Crosby, Malkin, Kessel, and the rest of that group are going to be able to maintain a higher Sh%?
— Adam Gretz (@AGretz) June 1, 2017
If the Pens are to keep this trend rolling their stars gotta keep being stars. After the playoffs of the last two seasons, it isn’t hard to think that those guys will continue to roll. It’s the playoffs and your biggest stars gotta shine brightest when it means the most – for the Pens, of the last two years at least, they have.
The Pens are going to need every gun blazing tonight. It’s going to be a shit show from the start – cat fish, beer, country music, jam level through the god damn roof. If you’ve got a heart condition maybe sit tonight out, walk the dog or something, because tonight is highway to hell hockey.
The Pens have a chance to take Bridgestone Arena from the sound of 20,000 screams to the sound of 20,000 rednecks mouth breathing. But the real prize, a 3-0 lead in the SCF is there for the taking.
Buckle the fuck up and go get it.
Go Pens
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