What to watch for: 2017 Stanley Cup Final (Game 2)

During the next few weeks AT&T SportsNet will be airing a series of "Pittsburgh Penguins Classic" content. That includes re-airing the Penguins' four victories against Nashville in the 2017 Stanley Cup Final (Games 1, 2, 5, 6).
To get you set for these games we've provided a quick preview/recap of the game. Obviously, the Penguins won each game and we've all seen them before. So, we tried to highlight some stuff that you may not remember, or other interesting aspects of the game that may have gone under the radar in the grand scheme of things. It's the type of thing that hindsight can really bring into focus.
View all 2017 Stanley Cup Final rewind content here.
Enjoy!

PROGRAMMING: Here is AT&T SportNet's schedule for tonight:
6:30PM: In the Room (Guentzel's NHL debut, holiday celebrations, riding to the rink with the Cullens)
7PM: Game 2 of the 2017 Stanley Cup Final - Pittsburgh vs. Nashville
9:30PM: In the Room (Fehr mic'd up, Hornqvist mic'd up, all-access with WBS)
10PM: Inside Penguins Hockey (Potash treats Malkin to a sushi lunch)
10:30PM: Sidney Crosby: There's No Place Like Home
SETUP:While the Penguins won Game 1 by a score of 5-3, they weren't thrilled with their play in that game. Pittsburgh was outplayed for much of the night and even experienced a shotless drought that lasted 37 minutes. Thanks to their quick-strike ability, they emerged victorious, but afterward Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said they weren't very good. "It wasn't a perfect game, but we found a way, and we know we've got a lot to improve on," captain Sidney Crosby said.
SUMMARY:This game also featured an explosion of quick-strike offense from the Penguins. Pittsburgh broke the game open with three goals in a 3:18-minute span in the third period to build a 4-1 lead it would not relinquish while chasing goalie Pekka Rinne from the net. However, this time it was a more complete effort as the Penguins did a better job of playing the right way. With that, the Penguins headed to Nashville with a 2-0 series lead.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
FIRST PERIOD
20:00: Something to keep an eye on throughout the course of the game - and series, really - is how much Sullivan mixed and matched his line combinations, especially during those stretches where the Penguins were struggling to produce offense. Sullivan doesn't shy away from making hard decisions - for example, Carl Hagelin was a healthy scratch for Games 1 and 2 - and has such a good feel for who's going and who's not at any given time. As he always puts it, he's trying to put together a lineup that gives them the best chance to win.
17:37: Nineteen seconds into the Penguins' first power play of the night, they get their first scoring chance of the game. Watch this smooth breakout pass from Justin Schultz and the subsequent smooth entry by Crosby. He finds Kessel, whose centering pass deflects off a Predator and Rinne is just barely able to squeeze his pads together to make the save.
15:32 and :27: Right after the penalty expired, the Penguins got a couple of scoring chances. Jake Guentzel set up Olli Maatta for a backhand try, while Patric Hornqvist nearly scored on a wraparound attempt. They may not have been able to convert, but still created momentum and got the crowd into it.
10:24: During a delayed cross-checking call on Chris Kunitz, Evgeni Malkin takes a hooking penalty - meaning the Predators are going to have a 5-on-3 advantage for a full two minutes. You really hate to see it. It's gut-check time for Pittsburgh's penalty killers.
9:34: This is where Nick Bonino breaks his ankle blocking a shot. P.K. Subban wound up and absolutely blasted a one-timer that hit the inside of Bonino's left leg.
He is barely able to get up, but doesn't hesitate to go right back down to try and block another shot from Subban just seconds later. As he's doing that, Ian Cole gets cross-checked from behind in front of his own net by Mike Fisher and draws a penalty with 1:02 minutes left on the 5-on-3. Bonino tries, but this time he can't get back up and needs help from his teammates to get off the ice. What an absolute warrior.

7:03: Nashville takes a 1-0 lead on a beautiful goal from Pontus Aberg and an ugly sequence for Maatta. Aberg chips the puck to himself and then passes to himself through Maatta's skates while stepping around him. He cuts from the goal line to the front of the net, drags the puck around the crease and waits for goaltender Matt Murray to commit before lifting it over him.
6:04: My goodness, Matthew Murray (his full name was listed on the game sheets back then). It appears that Calle Jarnkrok has a wide-open net with Murray down and out, but he dives across and the forward's turning shot glances off his mask.
5:28: Poor Conor Sheary. He gets cross-checked from behind four times by Josi and the refs never see it.
3:24: GOAL! GUENTZEL! This is one of those goals where it takes a second to realize that the puck is in the net. The Predators somehow inexplicably leave Guentzel alone in front of the net. Sheary puts a puck there, and while Guentzel's first attempt is stopped, his second attempt found the tiniest opening between Rinne's arm and torso to even the score 1-1.

:37.1: Watch how solid Murray is as the clock ticks down. The Penguins struggled on their faceoffs in this game and had a particularly rough sequence here. After Crosby loses one, Murray has to make a handful of saves. Then after Carter Rowney loses one, Murray has to make another couple of stops. It was a sign of things to come for the second.
SECOND PERIOD
20:00: Somehow, someway, Bonino is back for the start of the second period. "I got the skate back on after the X-ray and knew it was broken, but figured I got to try it," Bonino said. "Played the rest of that game, the adrenaline helped."
While he knew it was broken, the rest of us did not and would not find out until later that he played the rest of the game on a broken ankle. And he made some pretty amazing plays, which are made even more significant in that circumstance.
14:07: Nashville gets a 2-on-1 opportunity with Cole the last man back. Filip Forsberg carries in and opts to take the shot himself, which Murray snags out of the air with a snazzy glove save to keep the score tied.
10:00: As if Murray didn't have enough to deal with in terms of the heavy workload he faced this period, Cody McLeod barrels into him as he crosses through the crease and sends him into the net. No penalty is called.
8:12: Up until this point, Nashville had been carrying the play and the Penguins hadn't created much of anything - until their fourth line of Scott Wilson, Matt Cullen and Hornqvist came up with Pittsburgh's first extended O-zone shift of the game. They ended up drawing a penalty after Austin Watson came out of nowhere and cross-checked Hornqvist in front of the net.
6:14: Just watch how Bonino sidesteps Colton Sissons. On a BROKEN ANKLE.
2:35: What a backcheck from Hornqvist to thwart a chance from Watson. I wouldn't be surprised if Hornqvist haunted Watson's dreams that night.
THIRD PERIOD
19:50: GOAL! GUENTZEL! His second of the game! Crosby wins the opening faceoff and manages to push the puck along the red line to the boards, where Ron Hainsey uses his long reach to chip it past Josi and up to a curling Bryan Rust. Rust shoots for a pass off pads to Guentzel, who puts a shot along the ice that beats Rinne. It becomes the fastest goal to start a period in Penguins' playoff history.
16:47: GOAL! WILSON! Cullen wins a battle by his own blue line to bank a pass off the boards to Phil Kessel - who had just changed for Hornqvist - at the other blue line. He skates down the wing, where Ryan Ellis goes down and forces Kessel down to the goal line. He sweeps the puck to the front of the net, where it goes off of Wilson, then Vernon Fiddler and in. The ol' double deflection.
16:32: GOAL! MALKIN! On the next shift, the Predators win the ensuing faceoff, but the Penguins break the puck out beautifully. Hainsey reverses up the boards and Kunitz takes a hit from Forsberg so that Malkin can exit the zone. He ends up on a 2-on-1 rush with Kessel. Malkin snaps a shot over a sliding Josi and into the top far corner of the net. With that, Juuse Saros replaces Rinne in net. And with that, Penguins lead 4-1.

15:09: What a slick takeaway from Bonino to get a pass up to Rowney. He moves it over to Sheary, who gets slashed, and this time there is a penalty call. The delay is lengthy and the fans are HERE FOR IT.
13:32: "We want the Cup!"
13:12: The Penguins appear to take a 5-1 lead after Cullen gets the puck to Hornqvist in front for a backhand tip. Unfortunately, Cullen was offside as Kunitz entered the zone. After a video review, it was officially ruled no goal.
:30: Pens fans on their feet and waving their towels: "We want the Cup!"
:00: Cue the horn. "Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has just left the building." Game 2 goes to Pittsburgh.