STOCKHOLM — The NHL’s Global Series concludes Sunday afternoon in Stockholm when the Pittsburgh Penguins (9-5-4) again face the Nashville Predators (6-9-4) at Avicii Arena.
Hockey and Corn Flakes. The puck drops at 3 p.m. in Sweden, which means it will be a 9 a.m. game in Pittsburgh.
The Penguins were not very good in the first game of the series Friday, but led Nashville 1-0 with just over one minute remaining in the game.
A couple of bad plays later, they lost 2-1 in overtime. Filip Forsberg scored the tying goal with 1:10 remaining, jumping the Penguins’ faceoff win and quickly sniping the goal past goalie Arturs Silovs, who was largely brilliant throughout the game.
The Penguins were inches from winning the game in the opening seconds of overtime, but moments after Sidney Crosby couldn’t push the bouncing puck over the line, Nashville’s Steven Stamkos counterattacked for the winner just 43 seconds into the extra period.
“I don’t know how it didn’t go in,” Crosby admitted Saturday.
The loss was the third straight for the Penguins, though two of those have been in extra time (0-1-2).
“I think we were off in terms of our details,” said coach Dan Muse. “I think we were off in terms of the execution. You look back there, it ends up going to a situation where they score with the goalie pulled, but at the end, we gave him way too many opportunities. Way too many.”
If the Penguins’ goalie rotation holds, Sergei Murashov will get the start. However, Silovs’s performance and the Penguins’ desire to win one of the games on the trip could push Muse to start Silovs.
UPDATE: Coach Dan Muse announced Sergei Murashov would start.
Nashville was the home team Friday. The Penguins will be the home team Sunday.
The Penguins don’t play again until Friday.
How to Watch
TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh. NHL Network
Radio: 105.9 The X
(Blackouts, streaming rights issues, or other restrictions preventing viewers from watching a game specifically meant to grow the sport are unconfirmed.)
Expected Penguins Lines
Bryan Rust-Sidney Crosby-Ben Kindel
Tommy Novak-Evgeni Malkin-Anthony Mantha
Ville Koivunen-Kevin Hayes-Danton Heinen
Connor Dewar-Blake Lizotte-Joona Koppanen
Defense
Parker Wotherspoon-Erik Karlsson
Ryan Shea-Kris Letang
Ryan Graves-Connor Clifton
Goalie: SERGEI MURASHOV
Expected Nashville Lines
Filip Forsberg-Ryan O’Reilly-Luke Evangelista
Steven Stamkos-Erik Haula-Jonathan Marchessault
Michael Bunting-Fedor Svechkov-Matthew Wood
Tyson Jost-Michael McCarron-Ozzy Wiesblatt
Defense
Brady Skjei-Nick Perbix
Nic Hague-Brandon Blankenburg
Spencer Stastney-Justin Barron
Goalie: Juuse Saros
Special Teams
Penguins’ power play: 34.1%, 1st. Penguins penalty kill: 84.6%, 7th.
Predators power play: 17.1%, 21st. Predators penalty kill: 81.4%, 13th.
Penguins Game Notes
The Penguins have points in 14 of their last 16 games against the Predators (11-2-3).
The Penguins’ penalty kill has allowed just two power-play goals against over its last 10 games (25-for-27, 92.6%)
Sidney Crosby is one multi-point game shy of becoming just the sixth player in NHL history with 500 or more multi-point games.
The Penguins lead the league in the number of rookies to play at least one game with the team (Brunicke, Hallander, Kindel, Koivunen, Murashov, Pickering, Silovs). The Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks are second with six.
Evgeni Malkin has registered points in all but three games this season. Malkin scored the only Penguins goal on Friday.
Categorized: Penguins Pregame
