Penguins' momentum against Predators may mean squat
Tim Wharnsby | CBC Sports | Posted: June 9, 2017 5:08 AM | Last Updated: June 9, 2017
Lopsided wins haven't always carried over in this year's playoffs
The Pittsburgh Penguins appear poised to become the first repeat Stanley Cup champions in 19 years after the way they performed in Game 5 at home against the Nashville Predators on Thursday.
However, if the 2017 post-season has taught us one lesson, it's that the Penguins' momentum from their 6-0 victory to take a 3-2 series lead means squat.
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How many thought the Anaheim Ducks were going to rebound after losses to the Edmonton Oilers in Games 5 and 6, including a 7-1 drubbing in the latter, to take Game 7 in their second-round series?
How many thought the Penguins could shake off their frustration to win a deciding Game 7 on the road after looking so ordinary in their lopsided defeats to the Washington Capitals in Games 5 and 6 in the second round?
How many felt the Predators could bounce back after their devastating losses in the first two games of the final, or that the Penguins could win Game 5 after poor outings in back-to-back losses in Nashville?
Yes, momentum swings this spring have taken more U-turns than a big-city cab driver.
Crosby sets the tone
Game 5 was by far the Penguins' best outing of the final, maybe of these playoffs. They dominated the critical contest as soon as popular Pittsburgh singer Jeff Jimerson finished his rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner.
Finally, captain Sidney Crosby, who was the best player in Game 4 on Monday, and again in Game 5, had some help from his friends while asserting himself as a factor from the opening shift.
"You can see his desire in his day-to-day approach. And I've said this on so many occasions," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "What I've really grown to admire and respect about Sid is not only is he a talented player, because there's a lot of talented players, I just think he has such a drive to be the best, and he's willing to do what it takes.
"He doesn't just show up to the rink and put his equipment on. He controls everything within his power to be the very best. He controls his diet. He lives the right way. His off-ice habits are exceptional.
"He sets such an example for the rest of the group on how to control what you can to give yourself every chance to be successful. He has so much care for this organization and trying to help his team win, and he happens to be just an ultra-talented guy that's a really good player. I just think what separates him is his drive. I don't know that I've been around an athlete, not just a hockey player, but an athlete that is as driven as Sid is."
The Penguins' defence moved the puck to unlock their speed game and the likes of Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel scored important goals. Even Pittsburgh defenceman Ron Hainsey, who after 907 regular-season games is performing in his first Stanley Cup playoffs, scored to make it 6-0 in the second period.
Homer series?
By then, Nashville's veteran goalie Pekka Rinne, who played so well at home with 50 saves on 52 shots in Games 3 and 4, was on the bench. His nightmare in Pittsburgh in this series continued after he surrendered three goals on nine shots in the opening period.
We'll see if Rinne can continue to make this a homer series in Game 6 on Sunday. There hasn't been a seven-game final since the Boston Bruins beat the Vancouver Canucks in a deciding game on the road in 2011.
I don't mean to bring up unhealthy memories for my friends in Vancouver, but this Penguins-Predators final shares similarities with the Bruins-Canucks championship series six years ago.
In that 2011 final, the Bruins fell behind with two losses in Vancouver to rebound with a couple of dominant wins at home, only to be foiled in Game 5 by Roberto Luongo in a 1-0 shutout win for the Canucks.
Then, the Bruins were downright dominant to take the next two outings and the title.
In the 2017 post-season, home teams held a 42-39 advantage in the first three rounds. But the final has been heavily tilted toward the home teams.
The Predators appeared overwhelmed by the magnitude of Game 5. All of a sudden their determined forecheck was absent while Rinne and their top four defencemen were suddenly porous.
About the only thing that went wrong for the Penguins was Crosby's feeble left-handed water-bottle toss in the second period to protest a slashing attempt by Predators blue-liner Mattias Ekholm on Pittsburgh forward Chris Kunitz.
The Penguins now have outscored the Predators 15-4 at home, but Pittsburgh has been outscored 9-2 in Nashville. But nobody can predict what will transpire in Music City on Sunday evening.