NHL Stanley Cup; Game 4 - Monday June 5

We are about 35 minutes from Game 4 of the Nashville Predators against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tonight, as was Game 3, is at Nashville.

All Game 3 Predictions were way off:

Fansided predicted: Predators over Penguins 3-1.

Oddsshark and Vegas Insider both predicted a Predators win over the Penguins 6 - 5.

My Game 3 prediction:  Pens 5 , Preds  4

Nashville won 5 - 1.

The Preds must be reading my NHL posts. They honed in, "playing in the moment and only in the moment", and outplayed The Pens not long after the 1 - 1 tie, which was the closest the Pens would get for the rest of the night.

Why did the Pens collapse Saturday night? They looked as if they were playing too fast. Way too fast to think about executing a play or simply setting up their offense taking shots on goal awaiting a puck rebound that they could sail into the net. They kept up with the speed of the Preds, but the Pens seemed to be "speeding" around on the ice without any idea of what they were doing.

I've never seen a hockey team whose skating speed kept up with their opponent but did nothing with it. That's what Pittsburgh did wrong.

What did they do that was right? Well...they took their "Spank Us And Make it Hurt so Bad it Leaves Red Marks" out of the way, hopefully for the remainder of this series.

Pittsburgh has had at least one game in each playoff series where they have been ridden hard and hung up wet. (Sorry if that's too descriptive for you). But that's what happened to them Saturday night.

The Pens looked lost from the middle of the second period to game end. They kept up with the pace and speed of the Preds, but the Pens were unable to put together any coherent strategy and execute it. Their offensive attempts were met with a strong Nashville defense and goalie Penne Rinne played one of his best games in the series with amazing Gumby-like stretchability. He was in such a deep groove with such intensely, I don't think he would have noticed the Goodyear blimp - or a helicopter - crashing into the arena.

Nashville Predators v Pittsburgh Penguins, 2017 Stanley Cup.

Okay - Game 4 Predictions...let's see how wrong we can all be:

Fansided predicts: Predators 4, Penguins 2

Both Oddsshark and Vegas Insider predict Predators 8,  Penguins 7

The Pens do not do not do not do not in any way, want to go home with a 2 - 2 series for Game 5 in Pittsburgh. I think tonight we'll see the Pens return to playing like the championship team for which they're known.

My Game 4 prediction:  Pens 8, Preds 7 in one OT.

Happy Hockey!

Disclaimer: The above is purely guesswork on my part and is not in any way to be taken as advice on sports betting or engaging in gambling or wagering; legal, illegal or other.
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Grammar fixes 6/6/2017