Tell me why Nashville shouldn't be viewed as the Cup favorite

[Empoleon8771]

Goaltending is a tie based on Rinne's play. Pens forwards are much better. Preds d is much better. Does a good offence beat a good defence?

Yeah, I think it's fair to say Rinne right now and Murray are a draw. Both are phenomenal goalies, without a doubt. I don't even think it's the Penguins forwards, it's just their centers. The two teams have nearly equally as talented wingers. The difference in centers between the two teams is bigger than the difference in defensemen. The Penguins still have 5 top-4 D (Maatta, Dumoulin and Schultz are #3s, Daley and Cole are #4s IMO), just no top pair guys. The Predators have 2 3rd liners as their top-6 centers with a healthy Fisher. I just think the difference between Jarnkrok and Fisher as top-6 centers vs Crosby and Malkin is bigger than the difference between Dumoulin and Schultz as your top-2 D vs Josi and Subban.

The Predators are my 2nd favorite team, so I'm definitely happy for this matchup. I'd be completely happy with either team winning this series.

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

Goaltending is a tie based on Rinne's play. Pens forwards are much better. Preds d is much better. Does a good offence beat a good defence?

Rinne has lost 6 straight against the Pens and his last win vs Pittsburgh came almost 10 years ago.

Pens always seem to find ways to score on him.

Preds have 7 shots in almost 2 periods in an elimination game at home. How do they plan to score on Murray..

 

[Empoleon8771]

Rinne has lost 6 straight against the Pens and his last win vs Pittsburgh came almost 10 years ago.

Pens always seem to find ways to score on him.

Preds have 7 shots in almost 2 periods in an elimination game at home. How do they plan to score on Murray..

Rinne's performances aren't that bad against the Penguins. He only has an .880 save% through 8 games against them, but a lot of those games were games like 4 goals on 38 shots or 3 goals on 26 shots. Not great starts, but not really terrible starts. He's not getting lit up like Gibson has against the Penguins. Rinne has let in 5 goals against the Penguins only once in 8 games. Gibson has let in 5 goals against the Penguins in 3 of 4 games.

Regardless, assuming the Penguins move on, he needs to outplay Murray for the Predators to win. Seeing how Murray has a .958 save% in the playoffs so far and is pretty fresh overall, I wouldn't say it's a sure thing he's able to do that. He needs to put up like a .930 save% in the series because Murray will likely not be below a .920 or a .925 in the series.

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

Rinne's performances aren't that bad against the Penguins. He only has an .880 save% through 8 games against them, but a lot of those games were games like 4 goals on 38 shots or 3 goals on 26 shots. Not great starts, but not really terrible starts. He's not getting lit up like Gibson has against the Penguins. Rinne has let in 5 goals against the Penguins only once in 8 games. Gibson has let in 5 goals against the Penguins in 3 of 4 games.

Regardless, assuming the Penguins move on, he needs to outplay Murray for the Predators to win. Seeing how Murray has a .958 save% in the playoffs so far and is pretty fresh overall, I wouldn't say it's a sure thing he's able to do that. He needs to put up like a .930 save% in the series because Murray will likely not be below a .920 or a .925 in the series.

Yeah but Rinne has to pretty much shut them down completely 4 games out of 7. He doesn't even have a win against them in 6 straight, let alone stealing 4 games.

And to be fair to Rinne, i don't believe any goalie would be able to shut the Pens down for more than a couple of games in a 7 game series.

 

[Hockeyholic]

If they get Ottawa in the Finals, I say it's 50/50. Pittsburgh? Forget about it. Would be a different story with Ryjo.

 

[MoreOrr]

I'm really really happy for Nashville and its fans. Been a really good team for many years, and finally they get to the Finals. Good luck Predators!

 

[Ziggyjoe21]

Other than Neal, Johansen, Arvidson, and Forsberg, would any forward on the Preds crack a healthy Penguins top 9? Never heard of any of them.

 

[Mikeshane]

Congrats Nashville, I didn't think such a thing was possible.

 

[Wats]

Pens definitely the favourite, Johansen injuries really hurting them and probably would have been a season ender if Gibson didn't go down too.

 

[Ace Card Bedard]

No RyJo and no Fisher?

Preds can't count on facing a Bernier in the finals and scoring on every 3rd shot like tonight.

That's why they shouldn't be favorites.

 

[Zalos]

Pens definitely the favourite, Johansen injuries really hurting them and probably would have been a season ender if Gibson didn't go down too.

... Pittsburgh is not even past the third round. Hold your horses.

 

[DeflatedFootball7]

Other than Neal, Johansen, Arvidson, and Forsberg, would any forward on the Preds crack a healthy Penguins top 9? Never heard of any of them.

Is this a joke post? You have ECHL caliber players like Rowney in the lineup

Fiala, Aberg, Scissons, Salomaki. All better than the pens bottom 6.

 

[JaegerDice]

If Johansen weren't injured, it's NSH in 6 without much doubt.

But with Johansen AND Fisher out? That's a pretty big void down the middle. And they won't beat PIT playing like they did tonight.

 

[Tender Rip]

One should never look beyond the task at hand, but to think that Sid and Geno could get the chance to defend the cup against a team who are deprived of their 1C and consequently do not have anyone you would identify as a top6 center....

That would be.... like.... unheard of.

 

[DoktorZaius]

One should never look beyond the task at hand, but to think that Sid and Geno could get the chance to defend the cup against a team who are deprived of their 1C and consequently do not have anyone you would identify as a top6 center....

That would be.... like.... unheard of.

With Letang out, Pens don't really have anyone you would identify as a top-pairing defenseman though, either.

 

[Bleedred]

Too bad Nashville doesn't have Weber still, or the cup would be theirs for sure. You can hand it to them tonight if they still had him.
Do I really have to say this is sarcasm?

 

[Brainiac]

With the amount of injuries suffered by both teams, an hypothetical Pens-Preds finals would see coaching being a huge factor, IMO.

 

[JaegerDice]

Too bad Nashville doesn't have Weber still, or the cup would be theirs for sure. You can hand it to them tonight if they still had him.
Do I really have to say this is sarcasm?

It's HFBoards. Of course you have to say it's sarcasm.

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

Too bad Nashville doesn't have Weber still, or the cup would be theirs for sure. You can hand it to them tonight if they still had him.
Do I really have to say this is sarcasm?

Wtf? Lol you understand they wouldn't have Subban on the team, right?
Yes, you do.

 

[BonMorrison]

Preds thrive as underdogs so I hope everyone writes us off in the finals.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

If they get Ottawa in the Finals, I say it's 50/50. Pittsburgh? Forget about it. Would be a different story with Ryjo.

It would be too if we had Tanger. Just an FYI.

 

[Deevo]

Fisher gets a week to rest. He should be back for game 1, no?

 

[bursilym]

They r not favorites because of injuriess but they still have a good chance. Anything can happen in a 7 game series

 

[Benneguin]

Even without the injuries they would not be the favorites.

 

[Bleedred]

It's HFBoards. Of course you have to say it's sarcasm.

Wtf? Lol you understand they wouldn't have Subban on the team, right?
Yes, you do.

The sad part is that in October when the Predators looked like they were in danger of not being able to keep up in the playoff race and the Canadiens started out hot, people were pumping up how much the Canadiens won that trade and how Weber is the better player, at least for the next 2 or 3 years.

I always maintained Nashville got the better player and would stand by it if the Preds missed the playoffs this year and the Canadiens won the cup.

Shea Weber was the most overrated player (not just defenseman) in the league about 6 months ago.