PITTSBURGH — Three goals in 3:28. The last two were separated by 15 seconds.
This was vintage Pittsburgh Penguins at the start of the third period. This was exactly why the Penguins have gained a reputation in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs for being opportunistic, for surging, scoring in bunches and throwing multiple knockout punches.
Forwards Jake Guentzel, Scott Wilson and Evgeni Malkin scored on the Penguins’ first three scoring chances in the third period Wednesday. It happened so fast and it was all they needed to put Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final and maybe, just maybe, this best-of-7 series out of reach.
The Penguins defeated the Nashville Predators 4-1 at PPG Paints Arena to take a 2-0 lead in the Final. They nearly had a fifth goal at 6:40 of the third period, but it was called back because of a successful coach’s challenge for offside by the Predators.
A team that leads a best-of-7 Stanley Cup Final 2-0 has won the series 45 of 50 times (90 percent). A team that takes a 2-0 lead at home has won 34 of 37 times (91.9 percent).
Game 3 will be played at Bridgestone Arena on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVA Sports).
Pittsburg- 3 Goles en 3 minutos y 28 segundos, los ultimos dos separados por 15 segundos, fueron suficientes en el tercer periodo, para que Penguins Pittsburg venciera 4-1 a Nashville Predators en el PPG Arena y pusiera la serie por la Stanley Cup 2-0 a su favor.
Los delanteros Jake Guentzel, Scott Wilson y Evgeni Malkin anotaron por Pittsburg, en las tres primera oportunidades del tercer periodo, confirmando a los Penguins como un equipo que noquea cuando se le dan las oportunidades, y el equipo no llego, por que se anulo por offside.
Un equipo que lidera la serie final de la NHL, 2-0, al mejor de 7, a ganado en 45 de 50 oportunidades la Stanley Cup, o sea el 90 por ciento.
El tercer partido se disputará el sabado en Nashville.