Just about any way you slice it, the Pittsburgh Penguins outplayed the Nashville Predators Saturday night. The Penguins outshot the Predators, 26 to 25. They outdrew them in the faceoff circle 23 to 18, and they beat them where it counts, the scoreboard, as the Penguins went wire-to-wire for a 3-0 victory in Nashville.
The Penguins high-powered offense has certainly dominated their fair share of games over the last few seasons, but this one had a different feel. It wasn’t a flashy, fantastic offensive showing. It was a workmanlike effort, especially at even strength, where Nashville has dominated all season.
The Penguins took yet another first period lead, their fifth in six games, when Sidney Crosby scored from the side of the Nashville net. Crosby had a two-on-one with Chris Kunitz and his pass got broken up. They stuck with the play, though, and after Olli Maatta and Patric Hornqvist had shuffled it towards the net, Crosby was able to sneak it past Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne
The Penguins maintained their lead through the end of the second period, setting up yet another third period in which the Penguins defense would have to hold on. Unlike Thursday night against Detroit, they held and then some.
The Penguins NHL-leading power play struck 2:03 into the third frame. Crosby stopped at the top of the right-wing circle and found Evgeni Malkin all alone to the right of Rinne for a perfect deflection goal.
The Penguins’ struck yet again on the man advantage just 3:22 later, but it wasn’t Crosby or Malkin on the power play. It was Pascal Dupuis tallying his first power play goal since April 11, 2013. The goal gave Dupuis 400 points in his 14-year NHL career.
That was all the help Marc-Andre Fleury and the Penguins defense would need. They shut the Predators down the rest of the way, and Fleury recorded his 29th career shutout.
“In the third, they played desperate and they took some chances and we got on our heels a bit, but for the most part, we did a pretty good job,” Crosby said of the team’s defensive effort.
The Penguins had been outscored, ten to six, in third periods and overtime coming into the game. Being able to successfully play with a lead has been one of the biggest issues for Coach Johnston and his staff so far.
“I thought our team took a big step tonight,” Johnston said when asked of his team’s improved third period play, “I really believe we played the right way in the third period.”
The Penguins (4-2-1) now sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division and will host division rival New Jersey on Tuesday.
Photo credit: Pittsburgh Penguins
