Oh, what could have been for the Preds in Game 1! Nashville though they had taken a quick first-period lead thanks to a P.K. Subban goal. But it was overturned for offsides after a challenge, which had to have been a big letdown. They proceeded to give up three Penguins goals in the first period and lost 5-3.
But despite the defeat, the Preds can still take a couple of positives away from Game 1. The first is that they still managed to come back and tie it at 3-3 in the third period, even though they still conceded in the end. And the second is that the vaunted Nashville defense held the Pens to a playoff franchise-low 12 shots, and held them without a shot for 37 straight minutes.
Captain Mike Fisher played well in his first game back after missing the final two games against the Ducks as he had two assists. Meanwhile, Colton Sissons and Austin Watson continued to step up in the absence of Ryan Johansen as they extended their respective point streaks to three-straight games.
With 12 goals in their last three games, the Preds have shown that scoring won’t be a problem even without Johansen. Meanwhile, their defense showed it can hang with the Pens, and Pekka Rinne is definitely capable of play a lot better after giving up four goals on just 11 shots. With a bit more composure, especially after a setback, they should come back strong in Game 2.
The Penguins’ Game 1 performance showed just what experience can do. The defending champs got some good fortune with the overturned goal, as well as a missed penalty on Sidney Crosby during Evgeni Malkin’s opening goal. Nevertheless, they deserve credit for pouncing on their opponents when the Preds suffered a dispiriting setback.
It was obviously worrying that the Pens were held without a single shot for over half the game, but the manner with which they responded after losing their three-goal lead was still impressive to see.
Despite their lack of shots, the Pens offense continued to find ways to score, even against the best defense in the playoffs. Sidney Crosby came to play with two points, and Jake Guentzel finally ended his drought by scoring his playoff-leading 10th goal. Meanwhile, the Pens power play picked up yet another goal. They are now 7 of their last 15 on the man advantage.
There were no surprises from the Pens in Game 1. They are the explosive, ruthless offensive juggernaut everyone thought they were, and they like playing at home. They’re now 8-3 at the PPG Paints Arena in the playoffs and have won their last four in a row.
Writer’s Prediction
The Preds (+125) hit back and tie the series up with a Game 2 win.
Create a betting account now to start placing stakes on all the heart-stopping action from the Stanley Cup Playoffs!
