CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Despite holding a 2-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Final, Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan says his team needs to stick to its identity after being outplayed for large swaths of the first two games of the series.
"I don't think we've played our best. I think the third period of Game 2 was probably our best period of this series," Sullivan said Friday, before correcting himself. "Not probably, it has been our best period of the series.
"It's about playing to our identity, it's about winning puck battles, it's about using our quickness and our speed, it's about counterattack mentality. I think that's when our team is at its very best."
Nashville owns a 64-39 shot advantage over the first two games and has dominated possession for portions of the contests, but the Penguins have been able to convert on their attempts, scoring three quick goals in the first period of Game 1 and the third period of Game 2. They outshot the Predators 8-6 in the third period of Game 2 -- the only time in this series that Pittsburgh has outshot Nashville in a period.
It could prove challenging for the Penguins to harness the momentum of that third period. The wild crowds at Bridgestone Arena have played a prominent role in Nashville's 7-1 home record in this season's playoffs. The Predators' nine regulation losses during the regular season was the fourth-lowest total in the NHL.
Even so, the Penguins are looking forward to the wild atmosphere awaiting them in Nashville on Saturday.
"Every time I've been there, it's always been an alive and electric place to play. We're probably not going to expect anything different tomorrow," said defenseman Trevor Daley, who enjoyed a divisional rivalry against the Predators during his 11 seasons with the Dallas Stars.
"I think we're going to get some excitement out of it too. When the crowd is that loud, we're out there playing too. We just pretend that they're cheering for us."
Pittsburgh could be without center Nick Bonino, who briefly left Game 2 on Wednesday after taking a P.K. Subban slap shot off his foot. Bonino did not practice Friday and will be a game-time decision Saturday.
If Bonino sits, Carter Rowney could take his place on the third line while Carl Hagelin would likely return to the lineup.