It’s all even: Preds ties Stanley Cup Final series with 4-1 win

It’s a series again. The Nashville Predators continued their dominance at home through the playoffs with their eighth win in nine home games, and it was a big one to tie the Stanley Cup Final Series at 2-2.

The fans got treated to an early lead when Calle Jarnkrok scored the games first goal off a rebound from Austin Watson’s long shot. Jarnkrok’s second goal of the post season gave the Preds a 1-0 lead late in the opening period.

But the lead did not hold. About a minute later, Sidney Crosby was one on one with Pekka Rinne and scored his first goal of the series to tie the game at 1-1 headed to the second period.

With the score still tied early in the second period, Frederick Gaudreau looked like he was denied by Penguins goalie Matt Murray. But after the game was stopped 30 seconds later, a review showed that Gaudreau got the puck over the line to give the Predators a 2-1 lead.

Gaudreau tallied his third goal of the series Monday while playing just his sixth Stanley Cup Playoffs game.

With a 2-1 lead, it was up to Preds goalie Pekka Rinne–and he delivered, making save after save including an almost unbelievable stop in the secnd period on what should have been a sure Peguins goal.

Rinne finished the game with 23 saves at better than 95 percent.

The Preds responded to their goalie as Viktor Arvidsson finally got back in the goal column scoring his first in 16 games to give the Predators a 3-1 lead to end the 2nd period.

Filip Forsberg iced the game late in the third with an empty net goal, his ninth of the playoffs as the Preds evened the series with Pittsburgh 2-2.

It’s now a best-of-three match-up for the Stanley Cup trophy starting with Game 5 Thursday night in Pittsburgh.

Courtesy of WKRN’s News 2