Stanley Cup 2017: Predators vs. Penguins Results, Highlights and Top Comments

The Pittsburgh Penguins were on a mission as the Stanley Cup playoffs started in April.

However, that mission was not necessarily to win a second consecutive Stanley Cup. It was a mission of survival. Just before the first game of their opening series against the Columbus Blue Jackets, goalie Matt Murray suffered a lower-body injury in the warm-ups, and he was replaced by veteran Marc-Andre Fleury.

Prior to the playoffs, star defenseman Kris Letang underwent neck surgery and was lost for for the entire postseason. The Penguins also had a slew of other injuries throughout their run that could have stopped them at any time.

But this resilient team demonstrated the ability to bounce back and refused to succumb to injuries, deficits or any other problems. Head coach Mike Sullivan deserves credit for preparing the team and keeping it on track.

The Stanley Cup Final win over the Nashville Predators was another up-and-down performance, and the series easily could have slipped away after four games. 

The Penguins had won the first two games of the series on their home ice, but the Predators had the edge in play and possession in both games. In Game 1, the Penguins failed to get off a shot on goal from the start of the second period until the late stages of the third period.

By that time, the Preds had battled back from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game, but they could not close the game out. Rookie Jake Guentzel fired the game-winning goal past Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne, and the Penguins survived Game 1.

"It wasn't a perfect game, but we found a way, and we know we've got a lot to improve on. … We'll go over it and make sure we're getting better with each game," said Sidney Crosby, per Wes Crosby of NHL.com

The Preds once again had an edge in shots on goal in Game 2 and were the better team through two periods, even though the score was tied at 1-1. However, the Penguins took advantage of a less-than-stellar Rinne and scored three goals in the third period to claim a 4-1 win and take a solid 2-0 margin.

Despite trailing, the Nashville side were undaunted as they went home to Bridgestone Arena, where they were welcomed by their raucous and confident fans who roared their approval throughout both games.

The Preds dominated both games and scored 5-1 and 4-1 wins, respectively. Defenseman Roman Josi, one of the stars of the Nashville blue-line crew, had a goal and two assists in Game 3 and won the praise of head coach Peter Laviolette.

"He's as consistent a player as there is in the National Hockey League," Laviolette said, per Robby Stanley of NHL.com. "Day in and day out at practice, every game, he gives the same quality of performance. He's an excellent 200-foot defenseman. He plays as well in the defensive zone as he does in the offensive zone. We count on him for a lot of situations."

Rinne also rebounded with two strong performances, so as the Preds went back to Pittsburgh for the pivotal fifth game of the series, all elements of the team were performing well.

However, the Preds could not keep that momentum. It was gone at the start, and it was taken from them forcefully by the Penguins. Pittsburgh rolled to a 6-0 victory as Sidney Crosby played his best game and had three assists. More than the point total, Crosby simply dominated every shift he was on the ice.

"There's still a lot of work to be done," Crosby said, per NHL.com. "but I like the way we played tonight."

The Predators upped their level of play in Game 6, but they were met with total resistance by the superstar-less Pittsburgh defense. Justin Schultz, Olli Maatta, Trevor Daley and the entire defensive crew refused to give the Preds any freedom in the offensive zone. The game was scoreless until late in the third, and the Pens refused to give in.

Former Predator Patric Hornqvist chased down a late rebound and banked a shot off of Rinne and into the net, and that gave the Pens control and a 1-0 lead. An empty-net goal by Carl Hagelin clinched the cup for the Penguins.

They became the first back-to-back champions since the Detroit Red Wings accomplished that feat in 1997-98.

Hornqvist was overjoyed at scoring the winning goal in his former home arena, per Stanley: "This is where I've been playing most of my games and to win it and score that goal here, it couldn't end any better for me."

Crosby earned the Conn Smythe Trophy and Sullivan explained just how much he meant to the team. 

"He's an elite player, and he's arguably the best player of his generation," Sullivan said, per Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post. "He seems to play his very best when the stakes are high, and this kid just knows how to win."

The Penguins had a pair of superstars in Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and those two combined for 55 points in the postseason. However, their outstanding depth had as much to do with them winning the fifth Stanley Cup in franchise history as their superstars' performance and perhaps more.

One of those depth players is Matt Cullen, who is one of the Pens' best penalty killers. He summed up Pittsburgh's year-long accomplishment.

"This year, we went in with that expectation that maybe we'd have a legitimate shot at it," Cullen said, per Khurshudyan. "But you go through the season with a target on your back, and it's not easy. To be able to do this, it's really rewarding."

A third consecutive title would bring even more joy.