Stanley Cup Final 2017: Penguins vs. Predators Game 6 TV, Live Stream and Odds

The formula has been a constant for decades in the NHL.

If you want to win a Stanley Cup, one of the most important ingredients is always strong goaltending. It's not the only factor, as goaltending alone is not enough for more than a game or two.

But if a team has speed and goaltending, hard hitting and goaltending or strong offensive execution and goaltending, it has a chance to hoist the Stanley Cup.

Pekka Rinne provided the Nashville Predators with stellar goaltending through the first three rounds of the playoffs. It hasn't been all bad for Rinne in the Stanley Cup Final because he has played well at Bridgestone Arena, giving up two goals in the third and fourth games combined.

But Rinne has flattened out in the Pittsburgh Penguins' PPG Paints Arena, with a 5.40 goals-against average and .746 save percentage.

If the Predators can win Game 6 Sunday night and force a seventh game Wednesday night in Pittsburgh, it's clear Rinne is going to have figure out his opponents. That has to be in the back of his mind.

However, it's Game 6 that is in the front of his mind. Nashville is 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Final at Bridgestone Arena and 9-1 on home ice in the postseason. But it's not about relying on those past accomplishments. The Predators may have to play their best game of the postseason to extend the series to seven games.

The Penguins are in familiar territory. They led last year's Stanley Cup Final by a 3-2 margin and went on the road to close out their series with the San Jose Sharks. They did just that, skated around the SAP Center ice with the Stanley Cup and brought it home to celebrate with their fans.

The Penguins are coming off a 6-0 victory in Game 5 in which they were the faster, more aggressive and better team. The Predators are going to have to turn that around on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET or their season will be over.

The game will be televised by NBC and live-streamed at NBCSports.com.

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Pittsburgh has gotten strong goaltending from Matt Murray. Since returning to the lineup during the Eastern Conference Final against the Ottawa Senators, Murray is 6-3 with a 1.87 GAA and a .931 save percentage. 

His teammates are impressed with his ability to come through when it matters most. 

"It's pretty unbelievable," Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta said, per Wes Crosby of NHL.com. "Just that poise and composure he has. It feels like every game, he's in the zone. He's making those huge saves for us and giving us a chance to win."

Since Murray is playing so well, the Predators are also going to need strong game from Rinne. The goaltender believes that the Penguins can't take any momentum with them to Nashville. 

"Right now I don't really trust the momentum thing," Rinne said, per Nicholas J. Cotsonika of NHL.com. "Obviously, they played a really strong game last game and beat us pretty bad, but right now there's no favorite. We get to play at home. We get to prepare for this. It's just a one-game [situation]. Our mentality is going to be just taking care of this one game, and after that we have all the chances."

Rinne is wrong in his assessment that there is no favorite. The Predators are minus-145 favorites to win Game 6, according to OddsShark. Fans backing the Preds must risk $145 to earn a profit of $100. Pittsburgh is the plus-131 underdog.

The Penguins are still favorites to win the series. They are minus-370 favorites to win one of the last two games and hoist the Stanley Cup, according to OddsShark. The Preds are plus-310 underdogs to win Games 6 and 7 and take home hockey's greatest prize.