NHL Peachy: Morning Skate: Stanley Cup Final Edition – May 30, 2017
MONDAY’S RESULT
Home Team in Caps
PITTSBURGH 5, Nashville 3 – PIT leads 1-0
PREDATORS RALLY, BUT GUENTZEL LIFTS PENGUINS TO GAME 1 WIN
The Predators erased a 3-0 deficit, but Jake Guentzel scored the go-ahead goal with 3:17remaining in regulation to lift the Penguins to a win in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.
* Guentzel, who made his NHL debut Nov. 21, registered his League-leading 10th goal of the playoffs (20 GP). Only four other rookies in League history have scored 10 or more goals in a single postseason: Minnesota’s Dino Ciccarelli in 1981 (14 in 19 GP), Chicago’s Jeremy Roenick in 1990 (11 in 20 GP), Boston’s Brad Marchand in 2011 (11 in 25 GP) and Montreal’s Claude Lemieux in 1986 (10 in 20 GP).
* Guentzel also posted his League-leading fourth game-winning goal of the postseason, equaling an NHL rookie record for one playoff year established by Lemieux in 1986 (20 GP) and matched by Colorado’s Chris Drury in 1999 (19 GP).
* Guentzel ranks sixth overall with 10-7—17 this postseason, four points shy of matching the NHL record for a rookie in a single playoff year (Ciccarelli: 14-7—21 in 19 GP in 1981, Philadelphia’s Ville Leino: 7-14—21 in 19 GP in 2010).
* Guentzel, a native of Omaha, Neb., also is one point shy of tying the NHL record for a U.S.-born rookie in a single postseason (St. Louis’ Joe Mullen: 7-11—18 in 10 GP in 1982, Roenick: 11-7—18 in 20 GP in 1990).
DID YOU KNOW?
The Predators held the Penguins without a shot on goal for a 37:00 stretch of Game 1, including a 9-0 advantage in the second period. Via Elias, they became the first team to hold an opponent to zero shots on goal in one period of a Stanley Cup Final game since the NHL began tracking that statistic in 1957-58.
GAME 1 TRENDS
* Since the Final went to the best-of-seven format in 1939, the team that has won Game 1 has gone on to capture the Stanley Cup 77.9% of the time (60 of 77 series) – including each of the past five years.
* The winning goal has been scored in the final five minutes of regulation or later in each of the past seven Game 1s of the Stanley Cup Final.
* The Penguins improved to 3-3 in their six all-time Game 1s in the Stanley Cup Final.
NHL ANNOUNCES 2018 ALL-STAR GAME IN TAMPA . . .
The NHL announced the selection of the Lightning and city of Tampa as hosts of the 2018 NHL All-Star Weekend. The League’s midseason showcase, which will take place at Amalie Arena on Jan. 27-28, will include the NHL All-Star Skills Competition and NHL All-Star Game.
This marks the second time that the Lightning and city of Tampa will host the event, following the 1999 NHL All-Star Game.
Click here for more information.
. . . 2018 STADIUM SERIES FEATURING CAPITALS AND MAPLE LEAFS
The NHL also announced that the Capitals and Maple Leafs will face off outdoors in the 2018 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md., on March 3.
This marks the first in a series of outdoor games the League plans to stage at U.S. Service Academies.
Click here for more details.
LOOSE PUCKS
Nashville’s Ryan Ellis scored his fifth goal of the playoffs, tied for the League lead among defensemen with teammate Roman Josi . . . Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin (1-0—1) and Sidney Crosby (0-2—2) registered their League-leading 25th and 22nd points, respectively, of the postseason . . . Predators forward Colton Sissons (1-0—1) picked up his 11th point of the playoffs (6-5—11 in 17 GP), one more than his total from the regular season (8-2—10 in 58 GP) . . . Penguins forward Nick Bonino (2-0—2), who posted the tiebreaking goal with 2:33 remaining in Game 1 of the 2016 Stanley Cup Final vs. SJS, recorded his second career multi-goal postseason game (74 GP) and first since April 27, 2014 w/ ANA . . . ICYMI: Fans voted the 1977-78 Canadiens, 1983-84 Oilers and 2001-02 Red Wings as Nos. 8, 9 and 10, respectively, on the list of Greatest NHL Teams . . . Renowned Canadian artist Tony Harris unveiled portraits of Bryan Trottier and Grant Fuhr as part of the NHL Centennial Celebration.
SNEAK PEEK AT WEDNESDAY’S ACTION
All Times Eastern
Nashville @ Pittsburgh, PIT leads 1-0, 8 p.m., NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVAS
