Five telling stats from the Penguins-Predators series

For Game 1, Pittsburgh is a -165 moneyline favorite against the +145 underdog Predators with a 5.5-goal total.

In a flash, Crosby took a pass and split the Nashville defense.

On the other side was Nashville, now not only on the verge of elimination, but potentially without top-four defender Ryan Ellis, whose night ended after two shifts in the second period.

It'll be hard to top the hat-wearing, penguin-eating catfish that blessed us with its presence in Game 4, but if anyone is capable of pulling it off, it's Predators fans.

Usually quotable Nashville defenseman P.K. Subban said simply, "I don't believe in momentum, especially in the Stanley Cup Final". At this point the only thing that seems certain for the Pittsburgh Penguins is that the Predators are going to put up a fight against whomever starts in net tonight. During Game Six, the Country Music Awards Festival will hold outdoor shows just blocks away from Bridgestone Arena.

Where do you want to start? "He can definitely be a helpful guy for us". After winning their first two games at home, they came to Nashville and were rocked to the tunes of 5-1 and 4-1. At least one of those wins will have to come in Pittsburgh, where Rinne has never won a game. It was a dominant victory.

Predators backup goaltender Juuse Saros has allowed three goals on 10 shots after replacing Pekka Rinne, who allowed three goals on nine shots before getting the hook.

Their #1 fan is, of course, country icon Carrie Underwood, who has flown her Preds pride loud and proud all season as she supports hubby and Predators team captain Mike Fisher, the pride of Smashville.

"We're playing really well these four games. I think that's how our team is certainly looking at it is that this is a great challenge and it's a great opportunity, and we're excited about it". "He's a great player".

"That is, hands down, the best game that we've played in this series to this point", Sullivan said. "We felt if we did a few things differently and buried those chances, we'd give ourselves a chance to win".

Crosby chatted with an official from the bench, appearing to indicate he didn't mean to throw the bottle. That's probably the biggest thing I learned a year ago and what I try to focus on. For his part, the 23-year-old Murray admitted he wouldn't spill the beans even if he was in on the secret, telling the team's website Wednesday that "Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you". The total for Game 5 is set at 5.5. They each received two minutes for holding. You will click on the link and be taken to the main site where it will ask you for a username and password.

"He was doing some sort of UFC move on my foot", Crosby said. I don't know what he was trying to do to my ankle.

"Speed would be one of it", Laviolette said. He responded by saying that they just lost a game, and that wasn't what he was thinking about right now. "I was in some kind of lock there".

Coach Peter Laviolette said he's had to balance the desire to have Wilson in the lineup with the need to make sure he was healthy enough to impact the game.

"I'm not an official so I'm not going to judge what's over the line and what's not", Subban said. "I don't understand the call". He attempted to extract himself but couldn't, then unleashed a torrent of punches at Subban's head.

That's the central question to this series right now. On Sunday, the Penguins can become the first repeat champs of the salary-cap era.

After dropping Games 3 and 4 by a combined 9-2 margin, the Penguins came out like a bunch determined to wrestle back control of the final and inch one step closer to back-to-back Cups. I think that Wilson will absolutely compliment the vision and smarts that rookie sensation Frederick Gaudreau has displayed. "I don't know that I've been around an athlete, not just a hockey player but an athlete, that is as driven as Sid is".