Jake Guentzel’s goal lifts Pittsburgh Penguins to 5-3 win in game one of Stanley Cup final
Pittsburgh rookie beats Nashville’s Pekka Rinne with 3:17 left in regulation to put the Penguins ahead to stay in a 5-3 victory
Pittsburgh rookie Jake Guentzel beat Nashville’s Pekka Rinne with 3:17 left in regulation to put the Penguins ahead to stay in a 5-3 victory in game one of the Stanley Cup final on Monday night.
Guentzel snapped an eight-game goalless drought to help the defending champions escape after blowing a three-goal lead.
Nick Bonino scored twice for the Penguins. Conor Sheary scored his first of the play-offs and Evgeni Malkin scored his eighth. The Penguins won despite putting just 12 shots on goal. Murray finished with 23 saves for the Penguins, who used the first coach’s challenge in finals history to wipe out an early Nashville goal and held on despite going an astonishing 37:09 at one point without a shot.
Game two is on Wednesday night in Pittsburgh.
Ryan Ellis, Colton Sissons and Frederick Gaudreau scored for the Predators. Rinne stopped just seven shots.
Guentzel goes short side roof, @penguins fans blow the roof off the building. #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/Q7VIFxamVl— NHL (@NHL) May 30, 2017
The Penguins had all of three days to get ready for the final following a draining slog through the Eastern Conference that included a pair of game seven victories, the second a double-overtime thriller against Ottawa last Thursday.