The Penguins, Predators, and Who’s Going to Win

REFERENCE ARTICLE – http://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/19583277/2017-stanley-cup-finals-fired-sidney-crosby-dominates-game-5-win

This year’s 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs is now led by the Pittsburgh Penguins at a 3-2 lead, furthering Sidney Crosby’s early 2-0 lead. The Pittsburgh Penguins won the first two games, strongly knocking down the morale of Predator Pekka Rinne’s squad, Nashville’s fans, and the entire metropolitan area of Nashville. Conversely, Nashville won games 3 and 4, hosted at the 17,113-seat Bridgestone Arena, a arguably the most popular venue in Music City.

The Pittsburgh Penguins absolutely dominated the Preds 6-0 in Game 5, played on Thursday, June 8th. The Penguins showcased the absolute blowout to a sold out crowd of 19,758 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.

Unlike the perennial competitor Pittsburgh Penguins,The Nashville Predators have never made it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs prior to 2017. The Preds were founded in 1998, whose first game was played in 1999 as an expansion team — number 27 out of the current 30 — to the National Hockey League, the first team added, at the time, since 1993. Of the near-uncountable number of times the Penguins attended the NHL Playoffs throughout their lengthy history, the Predators have been only 0 times, which equates to an approximately 52% chance of making the postseason in any one season. On the other hand, since the Penguins’ first season in 1967, the Sidney Crosby-led, ever-popular team has only missed the playoffs seventeen times.

Sidney Crosby helped his team score 6 goals in comparison to Nashville’s measly zero because he has an active feud against defenseman PK Subban. Unfortunately for PK, he was obviously not as fired up as Crosby and failed to help his team succeed.

After three goals were scored on usually-successful goalie Pekka Rinne from nine shots, Juuse Saros entered the game. Rinne, again, almost always providing outstanding defense for his team, was unable to put on much of a show and actually was taken out near the beginning of Game 5’s second period! Poor, poor, Rinne.

Game 6 of the 2017 Stanley Cup Finals will be played on Sunday, June 11th, a few minutes after 8 P.M. Central Standard Time. As Nashville hosts upcoming Game 6 at their home stadium, Bridgestone Arena, it becomes more likely for the Predators to win. So far, each game in this 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Finals has been won by the home team.