For the first time in franchise history, the Nashville Predators will get the opportunity to win the Stanley Cup. Nashville will look to join southern teams like Tampa Bay and Carolina that have won it all since the Southern Expansion and the Music City has caught hockey fever. The Predators will be underdogs to the defending champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins, but that hasn’t stopped them yet. As the No. 8 seed in the West, Nashville has been the underdog in every series and keeps overcoming.
Log on to BookMaker online for all the latest NHL puck-lines, totals, moneylines, and props. BookMaker Sportsbook provides the earliest NHL odds and is your one stop shop for all your betting needs. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators will clash to determine who will hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup. You can watch all the action on the NBC family of networks.
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Series Schedule
Game 1: Nashville at Pittsburgh (5/29, 8 p.m. ET, NBC)
Game 2: Nashville at Pittsburgh (5/31, 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN)
Game 3: Pittsburgh at Nashville (6/3, 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN)
Game 4: Pittsburgh at Nashville (6/5, 8 p.m. ET, NBC)
Game 5: Nashville at Pittsburgh (If Necessary, 6/8, 8 p.m. ET, NBC)
Game 6: Pittsburgh at Nashville (If Necessary, 6/11, 8 p.m. ET, NBC)
Game 7: Nashville at Pittsburgh (If Necessary, 6/14, 8 p.m. ET, NBC)
Key Injuries
Injuries have hit both of these teams hard. Ryan Johansen is out for the rest of the playoffs for Nashville after injuring his thigh in the Anaheim series. He was one of the Predators leading scorers and his production will be missed. The Preds are still waiting for word on when Craig Smith and Mike Fisher will be able to play again too.
For Pittsburgh, the Penguins got Justin Schultz back at just the right time. He tallied a goal in Game 7 against Ottawa and played solid defense as well. That’s key since Trevor Daley is hurting and Chad Ruhwedel still hasn’t been cleared to return after suffering a concussion.
Matchup to Watch
Defensively this series is a complete mismatch. Nashville has some of the best defensemen in the NHL and plays a style that emphasizes their strengths. P.K. Subban has been fantastic since joining the team this season and will be physical against Pittsburgh’s forwards. Mattias Ekholm has been solid too, while Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis are always willing to drop down to block shots.
Pittsburgh’s defense has been shaky without Kris Letang. Daley and Schultz have been good but both are dealing with injuries. Brian Dumoulin and Ron Hainsey are serviceable but are having to play too many minutes, while Olli Maatta is almost a liability. Maatta made mistake after mistake in Game 7 against Ottawa and it nearly cost Pittsburgh the series.
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Nashville has an advantage over Pittsburgh in goal as well. Pekka Rinne has been superb and has the inside track for the Conn Smythe Trophy right now. He shut down Chicago and St. Louis and limited a veteran team with oodles of talent in Anaheim. As good as Matt Murray has been since replacing Marc-Andre Fleury, he is no Rinne.
The Penguins have far more talent than the Predators do offensively and they want to play a fast-paced game. If they have to grind and play a physical style, they can go down. Ottawa knew this and almost beat them by wearing Pittsburgh down over the course of the game and the series, but eventually Pittsburgh’s talent shined through.
This will be a great series but in the end the Penguins will bet too much. Rinne can only perform so well and the Penguins should be able to create some great chances. Look for Pittsburgh to win in six.
NHL Playoff Series Odds: Penguins win the series 4-2
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