Around the NHL: Highlights and Analysis from Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final

By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 

Well, we're halfway to another summer of discontent in Philadelphia. After a 4-1 win on Wednesday night, the Pittsburgh Penguins are two wins away from successfully defending their title as Stanley Cup champions.

The win in Game 2 came very differently than Monday's win in Game 1. There was no significant turning point during the game that suddenly turned the tide. In fact, the Nashville Predators were very much neck and neck with the Penguins through the first two periods, and that was indicative by the 1-1 score through 40 minutes.

But then the third period happened, and in a matter of minutes, this went from a game that was up for grabs to out of reach for Nashville.

The Predators opened the scoring in the first period with a spectacular goal on an individual effort by Pontus Aberg, who chipped the puck around Olli Maatta and used him as a pylon before getting Matt Murray out of position and elevating for the first goal of the game.

Pittsburgh tied the game shortly after a power play with 3:24 left in the first. It was Game 1's hero Jake Guentzel finding a seam in Pekka Rinne to squeeze a rebound through to even the score.

That score held for two periods in a game that was heavily dominated by penalties, significantly more for both sides than in Game 1.

Guentzel broke the tie just 10 seconds into the third period, scoring on a juicy rebound left by Rinne. Three minutes later, Scott Wilson scored on another shot that bounced off a Nashville player and in. It took just 15 seconds after that for Evgeni Malkin to score on a two-on-one. And that was all for Rinne.

Juuse Saros came on and stopped the only two shots he faced for the remainder of the game.

After allowing the first goal of the game, Murray stopped all remaining shots thrown his way, finishing the night with 37 saves as the Penguins took a 2-0 series lead with the series shifting back to Nashville this Saturday.

Analysis

There's a point in time in sports, especially when you are so heavily rooting for one team as Philadelphia fans are for Nashville, when you watch a series of events that just tell you the other result is going to happen. It's like a preparation for the disappointment you know you're going to face.

Just like in Game 1, the Predators had a chance to win this game as easily as they lost it. It could easily be a 2-0 series advantage for Nashville.

That said, these first two games have gone Pittsburgh's way for more than the obvious or lazy reasoning that some people will give. Does it seem coincidental that the Penguins get all the bounces or all the calls? Sure it does. But imagine how different these two games are if not for two decisions made by Mike Sullivan.

It says a lot when Sullivan made known that scratching Carl Hagelin was a coach's decision. The Penguins' fourth line consists of Scott Wilson, Matt Cullen and Patric Hornqvist. In Game 1, Guentzel was on that line. Both scored at crucial times in each win — Guentzel in Game 1 and Wilson in Game 2. Guentzel was nearly the scratched player, not Hagelin. He's got three goals in the two games this series. Decisions.

After the debacle that was Game 3 against Ottawa for the Penguins, they pulled Marc-Andre Fleury, who had really carried them for much of the playoffs, and turned to Matt Murray, last year's Stanley Cup hero. He hasn't disappointed, and after his one loss these playoffs in Game 6 to Ottawa, the Penguins didn't panic and go back to Fleury, they stuck with it. They won Game 7 and now are two wins away for the Cup again. Decisions. It's quite possibly a very different series if Fleury is playing.

Ultimately, couple Nashville's injuries, which hurt their depth in relation to Pittsburgh's, with just an overall struggle against Pittsburgh's system and this is the result. Pekka Rinne picked a horrible time to go cold and have more holes than Michael Leighton, probably the key contributor to the deficit on Nashville's end.

Playing on Nashville's home ice is different, so you can't write off the Predators at all just yet with two games coming from Music City on Saturday and Monday. But in order to unseat the reigning champions, the Predators need to steal a game on the road.

For all the controversy and misfortune they dealt with in Game 1, it was tied with less than five minutes to go, the win was there for the taking at that point. Entering the third period tied, as tired of a cliche as it is, means you win the 20 minutes, you win the game. Simple as that.

So despite Nashville's home success all season, one mistake puts their backs against the wall. That has been the story of the series. Pittsburgh is really forcing Nashville to play mistake-free hockey, and it just isn't happening for the Predators. 

For the sake of Philadelphia fans, who will complain about the result as much as Pittsburgh fans will brag about it, there will hopefully be better results to come on Saturday and Monday. But at this point, the results are what they are and the writing is on the wall for what could be another Final ending with No. 87 hoisting the Stanley Cup.