Penguins/NHL
Penguins 6 – 
Predators 0
(PIT Leads Series, 3-2)
The Pittsburgh Penguins are one win away from back-to-back Stanley Cups.
Wasn’t this supposed to have been the Predators night?
[‘Penguins are fatigued’]
[‘Nashville has all the momentum and advantage in a best-of-3’]
[‘Pekka Rinne is on his way to winning the Conn Smythe’]
[‘Pittsburgh would play harder and be more motivated for Game 5 if Fleury started’]
Those were some of the talking points from pundits heading into tonight’s game 5.
What played out tonight at the PPG Paints Arena was the defending Stanley Cup Champions delivering a beat down to the Nashville Predators with a 6-0 win to take a 3-2 series lead.
And this was a beat down in all facets.
What the Penguins did was follow the lead of Sidney Crosby’s greatness.
This performance in Game 5 from Sidney Crosby was none other than ‘greatness’ from #87.
Crosby single handily dominated this game from the drop of the puck and looks like a man possessed to deliver another Stanley Cup.
Don’t bet against it.
“I just think he [Sidney Crosby] has such a drive to be the best and he’s willing to do what it takes,” Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said of Crosby. “He doesn’t just show up to the arena and put his equipment on. His off-ice habits are exceptional. I saw it early on [tonight]. He has so much care for this organization to helping this team win. What separates him [from everyone else] is his drive.”
50 seconds in Crosby splits the ‘D’, nearly brings down the house with a highlight reel goal and draws a holding penalty by Ryan Ellis.
It was game over from there.
Justin Schultz scores a 1:31 into the game on the power play and the Penguins led by Crosby never let off the gas.
The Penguins scored three times on nine shots in the first period in chasing Pekka Rinne and then added three more in the second period.
Out of nowhere the Penguins were the faster team for the first time in the series, their offensive game was dynamite in transition, and what this club did was feed off Crosby who had a 3 assist night but the way Crosby dominated the game in all three zones might have been the finest playoff game he’s ever played.
He was that good.
“He’s pretty inspirational when he plays that way,” 19 year veteran Matt Cullen said of Crosby. “He’s our leader on and off the ice. He led tonight.”
The other stars were great and followed suit.
Evgeni Malkin a goal and assist. Phil Kessel broke out with a goal, 2 assists, and it was just a fascinating night in the type of performances the Penguins got from others.
Chris Kunitz looked like he went back into time. He was a human bowling ball in flying around the ice and crushing the Predators ‘D’ on the forecheck and what can you say about Ron Hainsey.
He was very aggressive defensively and looked like Paul Coffey in going end to end to lead the rush and finishing off the sequence by burying a feed from Evgeni Malkin to push the Penguins lead to 6-0.
Hainsey was named the No. 3 star of the game.
In the waning seconds of Game 5 the chants of “We Want the Cup” were rampant at the PPG Paints Arena.
The Penguins lost a Game 6 in the Eastern Conference Final after winning Game 5 by a 7-0 score. Pittsburgh was also on the other side in the 2009 Stanley Cup Final where they were blown out in Game 5 and came back to win the series.
Tonight’s stomping of the Predators doesn’t mean this series is over but the Penguins have found their game later in a series again like they did last series.
“We know we’re going to face a desperate team,” Sidney Crosby said of the Predators in looking ahead to Game 6.
The Penguins dictated the play and their fast start was attributed to not sitting back.
“We have to make sure we continue to go after them,” Sidney Crosby said in building momentum of tonight’s win and bringing that to Sunday night.
Predators defenseman PK Subban who was involved in a skirmish with Sidney Crosby late in the first period, appalauded the Penguins performance tonight in how the Penguins are a Cup Champion and know what it takes to win this type of game.
“Real [hide] hockey starts now,” Subban said.
Game 6 is Sunday night.
Penguins Game Leaders
Sidney Crosby | 3 Assists, 3 SOG, 58 CF% (5v5)
Phil Kessel | 1 Goal, 2 Assists
Evgeni Malkin | 1 Goal, 1 Assist
Ron Hainsey | 1 Goal, 1 Assist,
Bryan Rust | 1 Goal
Justin Schultz | 1 Goal
Conor Sheary | 1 Goal
Matt Murray | 24-Save Shutout
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Since pens can’t win in Nashville. Npl, stain, tbj and mstartari you may all have your TV’s turned off right from the beginning. Like this less spammers on this site during the game
*closed
Hey yoda, so I completely called out your bullshit and am still waiting on a direct answer to the question posed!
RIP Adam West
Sad, guy was the original and granted others did it more true to the comic there was always room for “some days you just can’t get rid of a bomb”!
Sam has already started carbo loading for tomorrow nights game.
Hey did everyone see the Cavs won? Thanks Depaoli
Frank Servelli gives his top 5 in the Conn Smythe race… 5. Jake Guentzel – rookie record in points, leads in GwG 4. Roman Josi 3. PK Subban – haha sammich, this is a boxscore play for you. He has given up 0 5v5 goals to Toews, Getzlaf, Tarasenko, Malkin and Crosby. Nashville had a 5 goal game vs the Pens and he had one assist, remember when you jeered him as not being a leader on the team? Your anti-box score comments are inconsistent 2. Sidney Crosby 1. Evgeni Malkin – deemed the “most consistent performer” throughout the playoffs…… Read more »
Sportsbook has Crosby, Malkin, Guentzel, Rinne then Murray in that order add the top five. It’s important to remember that it’s more of a popularity contest than anything else. I could see crosby getting it, but imo it should be malkin and if guentzel has another big game, it gets really interesting. All of this assuming we are able to finish them
I just used Servellis because he is one of the 15 voters
Ha Murray with what effort. If it wasn’t fleury pens wouldn’t be here. I doubt Murray played good Vs jackets and caps they were crashing net more aggressively then nashville
I wonder how Bunn is handling this pirate season.
So yoda continues to claim goaltending changed his mind… this will be posted until the lying fuckk answers
“So when the Penguins won last year… and about 48 hours after the cup you started to call for a blow up of the roster again because “Kessel and Malkin are getting older and won’t get any better, trade them now while they are worth something” why wasnt the goaltender enough then?”
Yoda refuses to answer this simple question and I loooooooooove it
yoda has a job and hasn’t had a chance yet…if wayne gretzky was traded, it’s fair game to trade anyone. unlike yourself, i think it’s fun to trade talent for different talent so the games don’t get stale. if they would trade malkin or kessel, i’d be cool with that.
First, That’s not the question you idiot! The question was, if you believe the change in goalie was what stopped your belief the cup roster should of been blown up before they won then why did you jump all over blowing the same roster up just 48 hours after they won the cup? Suggest moving Two guys that are part of this team being 1 win away from a second consecutive cup? Second, we all have jobs you fucken twat yet we all find time to show up here too regularly and this includes yourself… besides your paper route couldn’t… Read more »
Authorities say a fat Florida man got out of his car after a crash stripped off his clothes walked away from the scene and then damaged a door of the responding deputy’s patrol car. I always knew Florida people are weird but didn’t know they were stupid weird
No one gives a fuckk
Clearly he does since he googled “naked fat man”
to his surprise and dismay when a news article appeared…
If Malkin can score 2 more points to hit 30 in this playoff he joins Gretzky, Lemieux, Messier & Kurri as the only players to have multiple 30 point campaigns… #boxscore
This guy gets lucky so often, as sam has taught us. So lucky.
Series is going 7 so there’s a good chance.
If Rinne keeps playing in Pittsburgh in the manner we have been seeing… so be it
I want zero parts of a Game 7.
I know stress my force you turn your TV off early on that day
Sam – everyone knows your turned your tv off – quit trying to flip it – nobody buys this shitt. I actually follow this team – and have my entire life – I didn’t jump on the bandwagon in 2005 like your creep weird french asss.
Agreed
I hear you but unless Murray plays the game of his life it’s going to be hard to close them out in Nashville
What, worried another Double overtime game 7 Might give you a heart attack! I was nauseous for 4 hours.
I wonder how many of the 30 points are on power play or courtesy of sid assists
I wonder how many points Gretzky scored on unathletic goalies wearing miniature equipment.
… along the ice
Wait… so is Malkin the specialist or is it Crosby?
Just so you know this is the exact reason so many shit on Crosby whenever the opportunity presents itself. If you think Malkin needed Crosby to hit these marks it’s nothing more than a further indictment of how little you understand this game. The trigger man on the PP needed Sid? Christ if Malkin wasn’t pounding puck at the net the way he does you could make just a strong an argument that Sid needs him to flirt with those marks too (he needs three fuckhead).
Clearly not many or Sid would have 30pts as well.
I wonder how Sam the virginal bandwagon man’s game of “hide the sausage” is going with his fellow French uselessbody Letang.
Yoda, did you or did you not suggest blowing the team up after they won in 2016 because “Kessel and Malkin’s value is high and they won’t get any better”?
#yodaplaystummysticks
“Tear it down”
a new goaltender changed the entire vibe of the team…and i looooooooooooove it!
Then answer this you lying bitch “So when the Penguins won last year… and about 48 hours after the cup you started to call for a blow up of the roster again because “Kessel and Malkin are getting older and won’t get any better, trade them now while they are worth something” why wasnt the goaltender enough then?”
If nothing else, i want to thank the Pens for keeping my mind off the Pirates for as long as possible.
Hours after the same morons that go off in a loss disappear because they cannot find anyone to bitch about they both hit the page in full force… bitching about players that had a big night for this team putting them in a position to win. What a couple of douchebags
Yoda is giddy at the thought of playing blackjack on an inflatable donut if he can get Fleury re-interested after the big move.
The inflatable donut line was gold. Nice one.
Thank you, thank you.
Yeah that donut word excite you fatso
Yoda said this team needed to be dismantled before the playoffs last year. Never forget that.
apparently a new goaltender was enough…..and i loooooooooooooooooooove it!
And yet…he was already playing when you made the claim. Cementing you as one of the big 3 here. Jump in that short bus and RIDE, son!
Yeah pens won last night because of Murray. Team could’ve played empty and still won that’s how easy was for Murray last night.
So when the Penguins won last year… and about 48 hours after the cup you started to call for a blow up of the roster again because “Kessel and Malkin are getting older and won’t get any better, trade them now while they are worth something” why wasnt the goaltender enough then?
To the fan that is obsessed with Zatkoff
It’s Jeff Jerkoff’s Birthday today
Im wearing my Zatkoff replica game jersey in his honor.
Crosby suckss in the finals yet he passed Mario with points in all time points lead. Box score zero tool only evaluates players based on goals scored. That’s why he also drools over Kessel or sheary. These morons can disappear for 10 -15 games and minute they score he cumms in his pants and trash talks to me and others
Typical ZeroFOOL
What’s the points per final game? Because Mario played in 2 finals to his 4. Very impressive passing him in double the amount of games.
On the flip side, Sid recently tied Jake Guentzel in SCF goals.
Reality is I only dump on Crosby to point out your ridiculous bias against everyone else on the team. Unlike you I am not a fucken moron and realize Crosby is the best player in hockey. What you continually seem to struggle with is that he isnt on an island out there doing it himself. The Sheary’s and the Kessels have been a major factor on this team for better or worse in winning 31 of a possible 32 wins in a back to back cup run. I am gonna set you straight on this one, no a boxscore doesnt… Read more »
I like that Sam thinks Sid was as good as Mario – when in reality, we’re lucky if Sid is even 70% of what Mario was. And that’s not even a knock on Sid.
He’s still upset that a man names “Lemieux” didn’t bail on the Pens his first opportunity and go play for the “home team”.
Exactly some nights sid has 0 points but does alot.of.good things while a lot of nights chubby or sometimes Russian plays shitt and get points and all.of a sudden they are amazing based on points and media hoopla and have suckerrs like stain and Npl cheer for it
You basically completely missed the point of that paragraph. If Kessel was showing up once a month you’d have a point. The reality is he is on more than he is off. From a talent POV he has one of the games more dangerous shots and is capable of stealing a game himself. While the dominance that he showed in Toronto is gone seemingly he carries a game on his stick everytime he touches the puck because he is that type of player. You set unrealistic expectation on every player. You feel if they dont play like Crosby they are… Read more »
Classic zero.
I know samthestooge is going to hate hearing this…but Malkin is one of the best players to ever lace them up. And he’s from Russia. Deal with it.
#Hoopla
If Freddie Gaudreau scores next game, do you think NHL Network will have a graphic showing how he “tied Sidney Crosby in career SCF goals” sam?
http://68.media.tumblr.com/5386185664d236f4b1cf5fd823e9ea06/tumblr_o5lrjgSYwu1r6f9y3o1_500.gif
WOOOOOOOOOOOOO
If the Pens close out the series, the first person Sidney Crosby hands the Stanley Cup to is ______. I say Ron Hainsey.
I’m saying Kunitz. Hard not to love the guy and there’s some uncertainty in his future here. He’s been a huge part of this team.
fleury
#allhail!, #smilesstoppucks
#Fraud 1 win away from another cup – 14 months after you said they needed to #TearItDown. Does it get more embarrassing than that???
I like the idea of it going to Fleury, bt after his awkward moment on ice with the Cup last year, im not sure.
I think with fleury playing meaningful games in this cup run and being basically out the door it will go to him. completely different situation than last years cup and the awkwardness that ensued. we’ll see, but that’s my take.
I do think it’s him though – they really don’t have a new “veteran” guy to give it to, with a story. Maybe Cullen. Hainsey is not an awful call. If Cullen is going out though – i could see it be him. I hate getting ahead of myself though. Let’s just get the f’ing win.
I hope it’s Fleury, if nothing more than to see you melt down
Tough call, I’m thinking MAF but a
Combo of MAF, Kunitz and Hainsey are probably the first part of the group to touch it
I say it’s fleury
Honestly, with the Draft and a bit of a weak group of UFAs this year AND Kunitz performance I would be very surprised if he doesnt get the opportunity to reup at a reduced rate. He was treated well by this organization and I think 1 – 1.5 type over 1 maybe, BIG MAYBE 2, would keep him here. 1.5 in year one, 1 in year two? Reduces cap a bit and it a low risk play.
My guess would be Fluery –
Was at the game. It was electric in there tonight. I hope that was my last game in person this year!
We lose and there’s 100 comments by now. We win and there’s fucking 11. People just love to bathe in misery.
Amen
It’s harder to shit on the preselected whipping boys when everyone had a great night!
Crosby number one star and Murray with a shoutout. Stanch is crying himself to sleep right now.
Ya but, Kessel three points and a goal, Malkin with one and one, Sheary a goal and Murray a shutout… Sammich must be on suicide watch
need more wilson.
He must not have Internet access at his summer home
I remember when Maloni absolved Sid playing like shit and blamed Fleury. As tonight shows, Sid showing up…matters.
Will all do respect, MM had a pretty easy night-A garbage can would have won in net tonight
Who gives a fuck if he had an easy night. Dude still posted a shutout.
It’s also weird you haven’t mentioned anything about Sid’s ridiculous night. Since you only post when he has an off game. Toxic fan.
He was busy drooling over sheary. Once again thanks t to sid, sheary looked like a star again
He wasn’t talking to me you dumb fuck, they don’t teach you how to tell time in the short bus classes?
I’ll take it, Pekka Pinne pulled for the second time and Murray being insulated but still pulls off the goose egg…
Pekka tho… it’s all your fault, it’s all your fault hahaha
Stanch is just fine. Stanch cheers for the logo. Stanch isn’t a scorned lover that talks about Fleury non-stop because Fleury was his first love. You’re the only one the embodies those qualities, you little power bottom you.
#yodaplaystummysticks
special thanks to Laviolette for throwing in the towel after 20 minutes.
I wonder if Dusty enjoyed the shutout.
Why wouldn’t I? I want the Pens to win. I still don’t agree with starting Murray nor do I think Sullivan should have gone to Murray in game 4 vs Ottawa. Poor coaching moves going with “your guy” instead of playig the hot hand when it matters most.
End of the day Murray got a shut out in the most crucial game of the year. I was critical of the move at the time but when you’re one win away for b2b? Get over it
I said I’m happy for the team to win. But if he’s going to ask for my opinion on Murray, expect an answer if i catch the question in the comments section.
Poor coaching moves. We have a chance to win the Cup. Makes sense.
I’d like to get some rationale on these “poor coaching moves”.
You won’t give a damn what I say by calling it a poor coaching move. Go read it from the “experts” who all disagreed (besides D of course) about how he should have stuck with Fleury. According to your logic, if he benches sid and geno and wins, it was the right move.
At this point it is nothing more than sour grapes… he took the risk, made the move and so far, despite bumps in the road, it is paying off. We can pose the question if the Pens lose the next two. Right now they are one win away from a cup… If Murray is in the net for it then I guess it was the right move.
So now we sew comparing the Fleury benching to benching Geno and Sid. Simply Dusty!
Post of the night. Very Yoda like.
Hainsey’s first 3rd star in 998 NHL games. Timing is everything.
Ovechkin envys this
Anyone catch the Preds crowed! The equivalent of “closing” their tv in the mass exodus (a real one, not lie the bible) as the game got outta hand lol
Caps in 5…. non pundit in may