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A20 SPORTS
Friday 2 June 2017
Stanley Cup

Penguins take 2-0 lead with 4-1 win vs Predators

WILL GRAVES they’ve had they’ve done
AP Sports Writer a good job,” Rinne said.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — By “Overall these two games,
coach Peter Laviolette’s like I said, it’s disappoint-
math, the Nashville Preda- ing to be down 2-0 but
tors have been pretty good we have to be feeling still
for all but 10 minutes of the positive with the way we
Stanley Cup Final. played as a whole and cre-
It’s not much. Unless you’re ating chances.”
playing the Pittsburgh Pen- Asked twice afterward if
guins. Then it’s too much. he was committed to start-
Way too much. ing Rinne on Saturday,
The defending Stanley Laviolette stressed Rinne
Cup champions needed has been “terrific,” adding
just over three minutes at there are plenty of things
the start of the third pe- the Predators can do bet-
riod to turn a taut Game ter in front of him like stop-
2 into a runaway, beating ping the odd-man rushes
Pekka Rinne three times in that allowed the Penguins
a 4-1 victory on Wednes- to take charge.
day night to inch closer to “There’s a stretch they’re
becoming the first team in able to gain some momen-
nearly 20 years to win back- tum, able to capitalize and
to-back titles. be opportunistic and that
The barrage started with swung two games in their
Jake Guentzel. Mired in an Pittsburgh Penguins’ Jake Guentzel (59) celebrates his goal against the Nashville Predators with favor,” he said.
eight-game goal drought Brian Dumoulin (8) during the third period in Game 2 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final, Wednes- Pontus Aberg scored the
heading into the series, the day, May 31, 2017, in Pittsburgh. lone goal for the Preda-
22-year-old Nebraska-born Associated Press tors , who were once again
rookie provided the win- goals this postseason. “You head back to “Smashville” third. undone by a sudden bar-
ner in Game 1 and again in can’t even put into words for Game 3 on Saturday Rinne entered the series rage from the NHL’s high-
Game 2 when he pounded what it feels. night reeling. After giving with a .947 save percent- est-scoring team, though
home a rebound just 10 Only if Rinne turns back up four goals on 11 shots in age in the postseason. they haven’t lost faith in
seconds into the third for his into Rinne. The 34-year-old Game 1, he allowed four Against Pittsburgh, it’s at Rinne. Defenseman P.K.
third of the series and 12th spent the first three rounds more on 25 shots in Game .777 and he remains win- Subban said the team was
of the playoffs. of the playoffs helping carry 2. He was pulled when Ev- less in his career against “extremely confident” and
“It’s crazy,” said Guentzel, Nashville to the Final for the geni Malkin ended Pitts- the Penguins in games he’s in the prospect of going
who has an NHL rookie re- first time. Now he’s the big- burgh’s surge with his ninth started. home, where the Predators
cord five game-winning gest reason the Predators of the playoffs 3:28 into the “The limited chances are 7-1 during the playoffs.
Predators center: My leg felt like it was going to explode

TERESA M. WALKER Predators on Jan. 6, 2016, ing. But he could barely
AP Sports Writer and he led the Predators stand in overtime.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — with 13 points in 14 playoff “It got pretty bad pretty
Watching the Nashville games before he was hurt. quick,” Johansen said.
Predators play in the Stan- Now he has missed four He left the ice, took off his
ley Cup Final without him playoff games with an inju- gear and went to visit the
hasn’t been easy on center ry that will keep him out un- trainers for what everyone
Ryan Johansen. He would til next season. But Johan- thought was a bad cramp.
much rather be playing sen said he’s been inspired They tried ice and stretch-
than healing from a serious watching teammates like ing.
leg injury. Frederick Gaudreau, Pon- By the time Johansen fin-
Seeing how well his team- tus Aberg and Austin Wat- ished showering, he could
mates have been playing son play well against the barely stand.
makes being an observer Penguins. “My leg, it just felt like it was
just a bit more manage- “As a teammate, it gives about to explode. It kept
able. me chills right now,” Jo- getting worse,” Johansen
“It’s been a lot easier than Injured Nashville Predators center Ryan Johansen answers hansen said. “Those guys said.
I thought,” Johansen said questions during a news conference Thursday, June 1, 2017, in worked so hard for their Since he can’t play, Johan-
Nashville, Tenn.
Thursday in his first news Associated Press opportunities, worked their sen is trying to tap his expe-
conference since last whole lives for the opportu- rience having played in the
month’s injury. “The identity not going to stop for any- fluid or blood swelling in- nities, and they’re making Eastern Conference with
and the character of our thing.” side a muscle, can lead to the best of it.” Columbus and give any
team, how we’re built, it’s Johansen suffered acute serious complications and Johansen said he was hurt tips that he can about Pitts-
been pretty easy to watch compartment syndrome potentially even the loss of when Anaheim defense- burgh to centers like Colton
because, I mean, these during a 3-2 overtime loss a limb. man Josh Manson’s knee Sissons.
guys, every time they’re on to Anaheim on May 18, re- The 24-year-old center hit his left thigh. The cen- “I feel I can help them out,”
the ice, they throw every- quiring emergency surgery. hadn’t missed a game ter knew immediately he Johansen said. “A few little
thing they’ve got. They’re The injury, which involves since being traded to the would feel that in the morn- things.”q