PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh rookie Jake Guentzel beat Nashville’s Pekka Rinne with 3:17 left in regulation to put the Penguins ahead to stay in a 5-3 victory in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night.

Guentzel snapped an eight-game goalless drought to help the defending champions escape after blowing a three-goal lead.

Nick Bonino scored twice for the Penguins, Conor Sheary got his first of the playoffs and Evgeni Malkin scored his eighth. The Penguins won despite putting just 12 shots on goal.

Matt Murray finished with 23 saves for the Penguins, who used the first coach’s challenge in Final history to wipe out an early Nashville goal and prevailed despite going an astonishing 37:09 at one point without a shot.

Game 2 is Wednesday night in Pittsburgh.

Ryan Ellis, Colton Sissons and Frederick Gaudreau scored for the Predators. Rinne stopped seven shots.

The Penguins had all of three days to get ready for the Final following a draining slog through the Eastern Conference that included a pair of Game 7 victories, the second a double-overtime thriller against Ottawa on Thursday.

Yet Pittsburgh built a 3-0 lead thanks to a fortunate bounce and some quick thinking by Penguins video coordinator Andy Saucier, who alerted Coach Mike Sullivan to challenge a goal by P.K. Subban 12:47 into the first period.

A lengthy review indicated that Filip Forsberg’s right skate was in the air as he brought the puck into the zone, putting himself offside.


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