Roman Josi’s 3-point period helps Predators lead Penguins in Game 3

The Nashville Predators badly needed some scoring in the Stanley Cup Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins. They were trailing 1-0 early in Game 3, and it seemed like things could get off the rails if they didn’t respond in short order.

That’s where defenseman Roman Josi came in, delivering a trio of stellar plays to help Nashville take the lead. No team leans on its defense for scoring more than the Predators, and without center Ryan Johansen, that issue has been magnified. On Saturday, Josi was the one to step up in the first two periods to get his team ahead.

First, Josi beat Matt Murray with a big slap shot from the blue line for his sixth goal of the postseason.

Then, just 42 seconds later, Frederick Gaudreau scored another goal off a rush that Josi initiated. The defenseman made a smart pass up the ice to forward Auston Watson, who was able to slip by a defender and flip a backhanded pass to Gaudreau. The winger got a 1-on-1 matchup with Ian Cole, and found space to get a shot past him and Murray.

And then for good measure, Josi got another secondary assist as James Neal put the Predators up 3-1. This one didn’t result from Josi’s brilliance quite as much as the first two goals, but yet again, he was on the ice driving play that eventually ended with Murray hanging his head.

This is how the Predators will need to beat the Penguins. They may not have the star scorers that Pittsburgh boasts, but they’re winning the shot battle and need to keep finishing. Even if the forwards aren’t great at scoring without Johansen, guys like Josi will help shoulder part of that load.