Stanley Cup Final 2017: Penguins vs. Predators Game 6 TV Schedule, Predictions

The Nashville Predators got slapped hard in the mouth by the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final Thursday.

Now their playoff lives depend on being able to fire back when the two teams get together at Bridgestone Arena for Game 6.

The Preds came to Pittsburgh's PPG Paints Arena having won Games 3 and 4 at home to tie the series. However, if they they thought they had the Penguins figured out as a result of those two victories, they were badly mistaken.

The home team had plenty left in the tank and took the drama out of this pivotal game with three first-period goals. The Penguins finished off the Preds by a 6-0 margin to take a 3-2 series lead.

Pittsburgh got on the board early when defenseman Justin Schultz blasted home a power-play goal at the 1:31 mark after taking a pass from Sidney Crosby, who was sensational throughout this game. Schultz's shot came from the blue line and near the middle of the zone, and goaltender Pekka Rinne appeared to react slowly to the shot.

Crosby had three assists in the game, and his decisive play left the Predators on their heels. They were never able to turn things around. In addition to his three points, Crosby broke between two Nashville defensemen on the opening shift of the game and fired a shot on Rinne.

That play appeared to serve as a signal that Game 5 would belong to the Penguins.

The home team has won every game in this series, and that may have been a big reason why the Pens played so well. But if the pattern holds, the Preds should bounce back with a much better effort in Game 6. That game is scheduled for 8 p.m. Sunday night, and it will be televised by NBC.

Three prior Stanley Cup playoff games have been decided by six or more goals during this year's playoffs. The teams that lost those games came back to win their next matches.

One of those teams was the Ottawa Senators, losers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final by a 7-0 margin to the Penguins. Ottawa bounced back to win Game 6 on home ice and force a seventh game.

The Predators have been resilient throughout the playoffs, and while they have not played particularly well in any of the games in Pittsburgh, they have not been intimidated. They have asserted themselves in Nashville, and they are almost certain to have the raucous backing of their Stanley Cup-hungry fans Sunday.

The Pens are the defending Stanley Cup champions, and Crosby, Malkin and their teammates are used to playing in hostile environments. Pittsburgh can also take some confidence in knowing they won the Stanley Cup last year in San Jose, California, so strolling around their opponent's ice with the Stanley Cup is something they are used to doing.

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Nashville head coach Peter Laviolette met the media after the game and said his team didn't play well but left little doubt that the Preds will be prepared for Game 6.

"Our guys will be ready," Laviolette said in his postgame press conference. "I'm telling you that there is a lot of confidence in that room. We have a lot of confidence in our home building, and we have a lot of confidence in the way we have played this year. Our guys will respond."

The Predators are 9-1 at home in the playoffs this season.

Prediction

The Predators have been a remarkable team throughout the postseason, winning three playoff series from the No. 2 wild-card position in the Western Conference.

They have played extremely well at home in the playoffs, but the defending champion Penguins have a chance to hoist the Stanley Cup again, and they are going to be focused regardless of the fact the Preds will get overwhelming support from their fans.

Even though none of the matches have been close in the series, look for Game 6 to break that pattern. This meeting should be tight all the way, and the Preds are going to need a superior effort from Rinne to get the job done.

Look for the Preds to force a seventh game as they assert themselves in the third period.

Hockey fans who are looking forward to a seventh game in the Stanley Cup Final will get their wish.