Predators vs. Penguins 2017: Pittsburgh opens the Stanley Cup Final with the most bizarre Game 1 victory

Well, Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final was certainly a thing. The Penguins bested the Predators 5-3 in the series opener in Pittsburgh, and they did so with just 12 shots on goal.

Yes, only 12 shots on goal. One of the Penguins goals was an empty-netter, so that meant Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne allowed four goals on 11 shots.

The kicker, however, was that the Penguins spent 37 minutes without a shot as the Predators climbed back from a 3-0 deficit. Pittsburgh’s first shot on goal after the shot-less drought? The game winner, from Jake Guentzel.

And that was just the end to the game. The Penguins got to where they were after the first period thanks to a wacky opening 20 minutes. A goal from P.K. Subban was disallowed, the Penguins scored on a 5-on-3 that probably shouldn’t have been, and the Predators scored an own-goal to end the period.

If you’re thinking Game 1 was the most incredible, nonsensical game of hockey you have watched, you’re probably right. There’s no real sense to what happened in the Stanley Cup Final opener. The Predators dominated the game outside of a span of four minutes, which in turn was their ultimate downfall.

It seems highly unlikely the Penguins can win a series against the Predators if they keep playing this way. Though Game 1 went in their favor, it will be an uphill climb to win the next one should they not find a way to improve their game.

Penguins 5, Predators 3 (Pittsburgh leads 1-0)

Hockey flies in the face of everything you know about this world

I think it’s fair to say Game 1 is a strange anomaly that you could likely not repeat however many times you try. Hockey is already a hard sport to predict, but Game 1 was quite the analytics nightmare.

That offsides review looms large

The story early in Game 1 before the Penguins collapsed in on themselves for 37 minutes was the overturned Subban goal.

The Predators had been dominating up until then, and the loss of an opening goal clearly rattled Nashville. After all, this is their first trip to the Stanley Cup Final.

Pittsburgh took advantage of their hesitation and made it 3-0 almost in the blink of an eye — more like four minutes and change. The Predators battled back, but the latter half of the first period was where this game was lost.

Power plays could be the difference maker in the long-term

The Predators went two-for-three and the Penguins went 1-for-3 on their respective power play chances. Nashville’s first two goals were scored with the extra man, while Evgeni Malkin got the Penguins up 1-0 on a 5-on-3.

The longer this series goes, the more likely less and less penalties will be called given their game-changing nature. Both sides have deadly power play systems, and games could be made or broken because of it.

Honestly, it could be Subban’s no-goal, or Guentzel’s game-winner. The 5-on-3 power play goal from Malkin, however, got the ball rolling for the Penguins after the disallowed goal turned the tide.

Jake Guentzel is edging back into this conversation with his game-winner. The 22-year-old registered his 17th point on Monday in the victory.