Penguins Ride Hot 3rd Period to Game 2 Win, 2-0 Series Lead vs. Predators

The Pittsburgh Penguins took a 2-0 series lead over the Nashville Predators in the 2017 Stanley Cup Final with a 4-1 win Wednesday night in PPG Paints Arena.

Jake Guentzel scored twice, helping the 22-year-old make history, per ESPN Stats & Info:

Guentzel's second tally was part of a three-goal third period that swung the game in Pittsburgh's favor.

By the end of the first period in Game 1, the Predators were already down three goals. In that sense, Game 2 represented progress, even if Nashville surrendered a goal after drawing first blood.

Pontus Aberg put the Predators ahead 12:57 into the opening period with a great individual effort. He eluded Olli Maatta before forcing Matt Murray out of position and finding the back the net.

The NHL shared a replay of the goal:

Predators center Ryan Johansen, who is out for the rest of the postseason after undergoing thigh surgery, celebrated from home:

Maatta's defending—or lack thereof—was a subject of discussion on social media:

Nashville's lead was short-lived. At the 16:36 mark of the first period, Guentzel tied the game. His rebound off a shot attempt by Conor Sheary somehow sneaked past Pekka Rinne, with footage shared by the NHL's official Twitter account:

Both teams went scoreless in the second period—the Predators unable to take advantage of the 14-7 edge they owned in shots on goal.

Guentzel only needed 10 seconds of the third period to put the Penguins ahead 2-1, and then the floodgates opened for Pittsburgh. Scott Wilson scored the Penguins' third goal, 3:13 into the third period, and 15 seconds later, Evgeni Malkin added a fourth, chasing Rinne out of the game.

Fox Sports' Pete Blackburn tweeted how Rinne hasn't had a great series:

The Star Tribune's Michael Russo added that the Penguins have been a particularly tough opponent for the 34-year-old goaltender:

While the Predators lost Game 1, many fans remained optimistic about Nashville's hopes of winning its first Stanley Cup. The Predators were arguably the better team in the opening game. They erased a three-goal deficit and outshot Pittsburgh 26-12 in the 5-3 defeat.

Game 2 is bound to dampen some of that optimism, even with Nashville getting the next two games at home.

The big question is whether Predators head coach Peter Laviolette will stick with Rinne between the pipes for Game 3. Whereas Rinne could've chalked Game 1 up as bad luck or an off night, there's no hiding from his Game 2 performance.

The alternative is the 22-year-old Juuse Saros, who has made 20 career NHL starts and hadn't appeared in a playoff game before Wednesday night.

Laviolette may have no other choice if he wants provide a much-needed boost for his team ahead of Game 3 on Saturday. It's difficult to see anything changing should Rinne remain the starting goaltender, and if the Predators fall behind 3-0 in the series, they'd be facing a near-impossible mountain to climb to win their first Stanley Cup.