Around the NHL: Highlights and Analysis from Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final

By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 

With the series at a 2-1 margin in favor of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final was going to truly set the stage for Game 5 and beyond. A Pittsburgh win and the series could end on Thursday in Game 5. A Nashville win and it was a brand new series, with each team needing two wins in the final three possible games to win the Stanley Cup.

Well, after Game 4, we have a brand new series. The Nashville Predators scored three unanswered goals, including two in the second period, to take Game 4 by a score of 4-1 and even the series.

After a bit of a cautious and sloppy first few minutes of the first period, play started to open up and the Predators struck first.

Austin Watson threw a shot on goal and Matt Murray left a rebound. Calle Jarnkrok was there to pound home the rebound at 14:51. 

The lead lasted just over a minute. With the Predators caught up ice, Sidney Crosby took a lead pass behind the defense and moved in on a breakaway, putting a nice move on Pekka Rinne to score and tie the game at 15:57.

The 1-1 score held into the intermission with the Predators holding a 7-6 lead in shots.

The Predators took the lead in the second on a goal that for a few moments looked more like a stellar save. Frederick Gaudreau had the puck behind the Pittsburgh net and attempted a wraparound on an unsuspecting Murray. Murray reached across and appeared to get his stick on the puck just in time, as the official signaled no goal and to play on. But the horn sounded moments later, indicated Toronto had a replay that showed the puck crossing the goal line. Indeed, the puck had barely made it across the line for Gaudreau's third goal in the Final.

After Murray's near save on the goal line, Rinne topped it with three incredible saves. Crosby got another breakaway and was stopped twice by Rinne. The rebound was worked into the crease and Roman Josi had to make one save with Rinne out of the position. Rinne then dove back across the crease and robbed a chance by Jake Guentzel with his glove to keep Nashville in front.

Those saves proved to be huge moments later. James Neal made a strong play on the puck to clear the zone. Mike Fisher caught up to the puck in the neutral zone and made a diving play to chip the puck ahead to Viktor Arvidsson. Arvidsson took control and roared in on a breakaway, beating Murray to the glove side to make it 3-1.

The lead held up for the rest of the second and throughout the third. Both teams had scoring chances in the third, but Rinne held down the lead while Murray kept the Penguins in the game.

Finally, the Penguins pulled Murray for the extra attacker and Filip Forsberg scored his first goal in the Final with an empty-net goal on a shot the length of the ice.

Rinne made 23 saves on 24 shots. Murray made 22 saves on 25 shots.

Analysis

This would easily be a 3-1 series lead for Nashville, maybe even a complete sweep, if Pekka Rinne played the way he did in Game 4. Rinne was stellar, making several grade-A saves and keeping Nashville in the lead throughout the second period. The two-goal lead for the Predators was never really comfortable, but with each passing minute on the clock and each Rinne save, it got a little bit closer to becoming an even series.

Aside from Rinne, the line of Viktor Arvidsson, Mike Fisher and James Neal was strong all game, always making a play or finding a way to generate a scoring chance. All three players got involved on the Predators' third goal of the game that again provided some insurance.

What has happened to Pittsburgh is two-fold. For one, their defensive players are starting to experience the struggle of moving the puck out of their own zone and through the neutral zone. The Nashville forecheck is just relentless and the Penguins are getting burned by turnovers at times as a result. It was on full display in the two games in Nashville.

The Predators have also solved something about Matt Murray. Regardless of what the goalie may say, it's no coincidence that of the eight goals scored by the Predators on Murray in Games 3 and 4, a number of them have been on shots to the glove side, including two breakaway goals in the last two games. Murray made his share of great saves as well, so don't consider him down and out, but bear in mind that Nashville has been trying to shoot there a lot in the last two games.

Another thing for Pittsburgh has to be their own level of frustration setting in. This isn't a frustration that one player is causing such a stir that it affects Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. This is Pekka Rinne, making save after save, even stretching his pad as far as it will go and holding it for a couple seconds to stop two late power-play chances by the Penguins.

So for Pittsburgh, the series heads back home. It's been a site of success, but it's also a new series and to this point, they have yet to truly command the game. Pittsburgh has been able to score and get chances in bursts in these games. Nashville has made it so much more of a chess match and a waiting game and constantly presses, hold for a couple five-minute spurts in Games 1 and 2 by the Penguins.

For Nashville, the task now is to maintain the level of play. They have arguably been the better team in all four games in the series, but as the bounces go or the momentum swings sometimes, they are tied in the series. But after falling behind 2-0, it's a series again and that says something about the character of the Predators.

Game 5 is on Thursday night in Pittsburgh at 8 p.m. There will also definitely be a Game 6 now, on Sunday night in Nashville at 8 p.m.