Penguins vs. Predators NHL Stanley Cup Final 2017 Schedule, TV Info Announced

The Pittsburgh Penguins punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night, beating the Ottawa Senators, 3-2 in double overtime.

Awaiting them will be the Nashville Predators, who beat the Anaheim Ducks in six games to advance to the first Stanley Cup Final in the organization's history. That contrasts with the Penguins, who have reached the final four times in the past 10 years and have won two titles in that span, including last season.

Below, we'll take a look at the schedule, television information and preview the series.

Stanley Cup Final Schedule (via NHL.com)

Game 1: Monday, May 29 at 8 p.m. ET (NBC)

Game 2: Wednesday, May 31 at 8 p.m. ET (NBC Sports)

Game 3: Saturday, June 3 at 8 p.m. ET (NBC Sports)

Game 4: Monday, June 5 at 8 p.m. ET (NBC)

Game 5*: Thursday, June 8 at 8 p.m. ET (NBC)

Game 6*: Sunday, June 11 at 8 p.m. ET (NBC)

Game 7*: Wednesday, June 14 at 8 p.m. ET (NBC)

*if necessary

While Sidney Crosby and Co. may have the edge in Stanley Cup experience, the Predators have the greatest advantage of all: a red-hot goalie.

Pekka Rinne has been superb this postseason, posting a 12-4 record with a 1.70 goals-against average and a .941 save percentage. Matt Murray has been impressive since taking over for Marc-Andre Fleury with three wins in four starts, but he hasn't matched Rinne's elite impact.

"It's almost like a thing you don't want to think about too much," Rinne said, per Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy. "You have been holding it back, and in the back of your head you've been thinking about the finals and then when the buzzer goes off, it's an amazing feeling."

He added, "Amazing feeling, obviously. It's a dream come true. But it's a funny thing, though. When this is happening around us, you still feel hungry, and now we have a chance to play for the Cup. It's a pretty amazing feeling. And you've been working for that for a long, long time."

The Predators also had to do it without key contributors such as Mike Fisher, Ryan Johansen and Kevin Fiala in the lineup due to injuries. As Andrew Knoll of ESPN.com noted, "[Peter] Laviolette has tied an NHL record by using 18 forwards this postseason, having tweaked his personnel based on preference as well as because of injury."

So an elite goalie and a savvy coach are a solid start. But the Predators also have an excellent top four on the blue line in Roman Josi, Ryan Ellis, Mattias Ekholm and P.K. Subban. Ekholm and Subban, in particular, have been fantastic this postseason, often stifling an opponent's top line.

They'll likely be tasked with dealing with Crosby, of course. Which brings us to the Penguins.

While the Predators are stout defensively and in goal, the Penguins have one of the most dynamic offenses in hockey. Between Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel and Jake Guentzel—who scored 33 points in 40 games as a rookie this year and has kept up that torrid pace in the postseason—the Penguins have the firepower to blitzkrieg opponents. 

Two goals from Chris Kunitz in Game 7, including the decider in overtime, showed it can even get production from unlikely sources.

And thus sets up the central storyline of this series: Nashville's defense vs. Pittsburgh offense. Which team's strength will win out?

But the Penguins are more than their stars. They also have young contributors playing well, as Craig Custance of ESPN.com noted on Tuesday:

"The 7-0 [Game 5] rout, which moved Pittsburgh within one game of a return to the Stanley Cup finals, was a reminder of what the Penguins looks like at their best. It's a mix of star power and key contributions coming from throughout the lineup. It's winger Bryan Rust returning to action after an upper-body injury with jump, injecting the tired Penguins with a burst of energy they hadn't felt in a while."

Which sets up the second major storyline: Which team's supporting cast will come up bigger? If Rinne has an off night, can the offense pick him up? If Crosby, Malkin and Kessel go cold, can the youngsters carry the day?

The Stanley Cup Final is just as much about the unsung heroes as they are about the superstars. And in a matchup that should be tight, it's those unsung heroes who may swing the series for their side.