PREDATORS RALLY, BUT GUENTZEL LIFTS PENGUINS TO GAME 1 WIN
The Predators erased a 3-0 deficit, but Jake Guentzel scored the go-ahead goal with 3:17 remaining in regulation to lift the Penguins to a win in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.
PITTSBURGH 5, Nashville 3 – PIT leads 1-0
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Guentzel, who made his NHL debut Nov. 21, registered his League-leading 10th goal of the playoffs (20 GP). Only four other rookies in League history have scored 10 or more goals in a single postseason: Minnesota’s Dino Ciccarelli in 1981 (14 in 19 GP), Chicago’s Jeremy Roenick in 1990 (11 in 20 GP), Boston’s Brad Marchand in 2011 (11 in 25 GP) and Montreal’s Claude Lemieux in 1986 (10 in 20 GP).
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Guentzel also posted his League-leading fourth game-winning goal of the postseason, equaling an NHL rookie record for one playoff year established by Lemieux in 1986 (20 GP) and matched by Colorado’s Chris Drury in 1999 (19 GP).
Guentzel ranks sixth overall with 10-7—17 this postseason, four points shy of matching the NHL record for a rookie in a single playoff year (Ciccarelli: 14-7—21 in 19 GP in 1981, Philadelphia’s Ville Leino: 7-14—21 in 19 GP in 2010). Guentzel, a native of Omaha, Neb., also is one point shy of tying the NHL record for a U.S.-born rookie in a single postseason (St. Louis’ Joe Mullen: 7-11—18 in 10 GP in 1982, Roenick: 11-7—18 in 20 GP in 1990).
Nashville’s Ryan Ellis scored his fifth goal of the playoffs, tied for the League lead among defensemen with teammate Roman Josi . . . Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin (1-0—1) and Sidney Crosby (0-2—2) registered their League-leading 25th and 22nd points, respectively, of the postseason . . . Predators forward Colton Sissons (1-0—1) picked up his 11th point of the playoffs (6-5—11 in 17 GP), one more than his total from the regular season (8-2—10 in 58 GP) . . . Penguins forward Nick Bonino (2-0—2), who posted the tiebreaking goal with 2:33 remaining in Game 1 of the 2016 Stanley Cup Final vs. SJS, recorded his second career multi-goal postseason game (74 GP) and first since April 27, 2014 w/ ANA .
* Information provided via NHL Press Release
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