Sidney Crosby mashes PK Subban's face into the ice during National Hockey League playoffs

The last time we checked, the Nashville Predators did not have a Sidney Crosby in their lineup.

You could brush off that one instance, but not long after in second period a water bottle that came from Crosby's arm flew from the bench onto the ice and the Penguins scored a goal soon after.

The Penguins had been outplayed for large portions of the first four games in the series, but they jumped out to a quick start against the Predators in Game Five and never looked back.

Just 91 seconds after a Nashville fan flipped a catfish onto the PPG Paints Arena ice - a move that came shortly before a three-goal outburst by Nashville in Game 1 - Schultz powered home a slapshot to end an 0-for-15 power-play skid.

Rinne and the Predators stand between Pittsburgh and a big chunk of history.

"When he plays that way it's awfully easy to follow him", Penguins forward Matt Cullen said.

Some apologists have said this is part of playoff hockey.

"He's the same every day", head coach Peter Laviolette said on Saturday, ahead of tomorrow's Game 6 at Bridgestone Arena.

The Pittsburgh Penguins team bus pulled up their hotel in downtown Nashville in the middle of a hot afternoon, drums and guitars echoing in the distance from a country music fan festival. We just have to do a better job in front of him.

When the ref skated up to him, Crosby said "I didn't mean to throw it", and the incident was dismissed.

The Preds now have to bounce back in game six against the defending champs in order to keep the dream of winning Nashville's first ever Stanley Cup intact.

"I still feel we have a lot of great hockey left to be played here". Through four games, the 2017 Stanley Cup Final is averaging a TAD of 4.231 million viewers, up 24% vs. 2016 (3.414 million).

Back in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, Vancouver's head coach infamously kept his No. 1 netminder in for all eight goals in an 8-1 blowout at TD Garden in Game 3.

"We're going to try to play the game that gives us the best chance to win". I don't even know what he did, P.K. Pittsburgh LW Jake Guentzel's second-period assist gave him 21 points, setting an National Hockey League record for rookies.

Crosby, on the game's first shift, carried the puck over the blue line and bulled his way through strong Nashville defensive pair Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis. That's tanking-for-McDavid-Buffalo bad. That's one reason I prefer Game Score here, because it can contextualize the fact that Crosby got dominated despite putting up points.

"You can go back through the whole series, there's really one game that we don't like out of five games, and that's game five", Laviolette said.

In the process Crosby moved into a tie for 19th on the all-time list for playoff points and is within one victory of celebrating a third championship with Pittsburgh, something even his Hall of Fame mentor was unable to do.

SSR's season nine is on, our next show is TBD... if there is no game seven, we are Wednesday at 7pm on 102.5 the Game, if there is a game seven, we are Tuesday at 7pm.