The Latest: Jackson to play pre-Game 3 concert in Nashville
PITTSBURGH (AP) The Latest on Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final (all times local):
11:09 p.m.
Jake Guentzel scored twice and Matt Murray made 37 saves as the Pittsburgh Penguins chased Predators goalie Pekka Rinne and moved two wins away from a second consecutive title by beating Nashville 4-1 in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night.
Scott Wilson and Evgeni Malkin also scored for Pittsburgh, which won for the ninth time in these playoffs when being outshot. The Predators had 38 shots to the Penguins' 27, but Rinne allowed four goals on 25 shots and got the hook in favor of backup Juuse Saros in the third period.
Pittsburgh's third-period onslaught took a game that was tied at the second intermission and broke it wide open. The Penguins scored three goals in 3:18 and became the 46th team since 1939 to lead the Final 2-0.
Ninety percent of teams with that advantage have gone on to win the Cup.
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10:53 p.m.
The floodgates are open in Pittsburgh.
The Penguins lead 4-1 late in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final after a three-goal flurry in the first 3:18 of the third period against Nashville. That chased goaltender Pekka Rinne.
Jake Guentzel scored 10 seconds into the period. Seconds after an own goal off the left skate of Nashville's Vern Fiddler that was credited to Scott Wilson, Evgeni Malkin beat Rinne to give Pittsburgh a three-goal lead.
Rinne allowed four goals on 25 shots. He got the Predators to this point and went into the series as an MVP favorite, but allowed four goals on 11 shots in Game 1 and then got the hook in Game 2.
It stayed 4-1 after Pittsburgh's Matt Cullen was ruled offside following a coach's challenge of a goal by Patric Hornqvist.
P.K. Subban and Malkin dropped the gloves for a fight after all the scoring. Two of the biggest stars in hockey tussled against the boards with 7:46 left in a game Pittsburgh had taken over.
Game 3 is Saturday in Nashville.
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10:25 p.m.
Jake Guentzel has scored his second goal of the night to give Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead early in the third period of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against Nashville.
Guentzel scored on a rebound 10 seconds into the third off the pad of Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne. The rookie from Omaha, Nebraska, leads the playoffs with 12 goals and has scored the past three goals for Pittsburgh.
Before the Cup Final, Guentzel went eight games without a goal. He has found his touch at the right time for Pittsburgh, which leads the Final 1-0.
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10:06 p.m.
The Penguins and Predators are tied at 1-1 going into the third period of Game 2 in the Stanley Cup Final.
Nashville is outshooting Pittsburgh 32-19 and the Penguins had only seven shots in the second period. The Predators are also blowing away the Penguins in the faceoff circle, winning 62 percent of draws through 40 minutes. That's a big reason why Nashville has 53 shot attempts to Pittsburgh's 31.
Pittsburgh has just two shots on five power plays and has not scored on any of them. They went 9 minutes and 50 seconds without a shot, reminiscent of the second period of Game 1when they had no shots at all.
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9:25 p.m.
Penguins center Nick Bonino is back for the second period of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final after taking a puck to his left ankle or foot in the first.
Bonino could not put weight on his left foot as he was helped off the ice when a shot from Predators defenseman P.K. Subban struck him during a Nashville power play.
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9:10 p.m.
The Penguins and Predators each have a goal as Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final is tied at the first intermission.
Pontus Aberg scored for Nashville, which has 18 shots, and Jake Guentzel scored for Pittsburgh, which has 12. Matt Murray has been strong in goal for the Penguins.
And no catfish have been thrown on the ice so far.
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8:55 p.m.
Penguins forward Jake Guentzel has tied Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against Nashville at 1-1 late in the first period.
Guentzel tapped home a loose puck under the left arm of Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne at 16:27 of the first. It's Guentzel's playoff-leading 11th goal.
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8:45 p.m.
Pontus Aberg has given the Predators a 1-0 lead in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final. The Swede dangled the puck around Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta and beat Matt Murray at 12:57 of the first period.
It's Aberg's second goal of the playoffs. Nashville is 7-2 in the playoffs when scoring first, and this time it counted after a coach's challenge for offside wiped out a goal that would've given the Predators the lead in Game 1.
Penguins center Nick Bonino has left the game after blocking a shot from the Predators' P.K. Subban in the first period.
Bonino, who scored in Game 1, took the puck to the left foot or ankle and could not put weight on it as he was helped off the ice. Bonino was killing a 5-on-3 penalty after Pittsburgh's Chris Kunitz and Evgeni Malkin were in the box.
Penguins center Matt Cullen briefly left the game earlier after getting hit in the corner but returned and didn't miss a shift.
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8:05 p.m.
Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan is shuffling his lines for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Predators.
Sullivan promoted Bryan Rust to play on the first line with Conor Sheary and Sidney Crosby. He put Chris Kunitz on the second line with Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel. Scott Wilson was dropped to the fourth line with Matt Cullen and Patric Hornqvist.
Nashville, which trails the series 1-0 despite dominating Game 1, is keeping things status quo.
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7 p.m.
Catfish watch is on for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final.
The Nashville Predators' tradition of throwing a catfish onto the ice came to Pittsburgh for Game 1 Monday night and could get another chapter for Game 2. Golf star and Predators fan Brandt Snedeker was expected to attend Game 2 against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Arena and has previously teased being a catfish-tosser.
A Tennessee man chucked a catfish onto the ice in Game 1, was ejected, charged and then had charges dropped .
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6:40 p.m.
Country music star Alan Jackson will play a concert prior to Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final in Nashville on Saturday.
The Predators say Jackson will take the stage on Lower Broadway about 2 1/2 hours before scheduled puck drop of Game 3 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The newest Country Music Hall of Fame inductee says he's proud to be included in the Predators' Cup Final run.
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6:10 p.m.
The Penguins and Predators could have the same lineups for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, two nights after a bizarre start to the series that few could have expected.
Forward Colin Wilson did not take part in Nashville's morning skate Wednesday at PPG Paints Arena after missing Game 1 on Monday night because of a lower-body injury. Likewise, winger Carl Hagelin is expected to be a healthy scratch again for Pittsburgh.
The teams come off a bizarre Game 1 that featured a questionable offside review wiping out a goal by P.K. Subban, a Predators fan throwing a catfish onto the ice and the Penguins enduring a 37-minute shot drought and scoring the winner on the next shot they took.
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