PITTSBURGH _ Sidney Crosby exploded through a pair of Nashville defenders and drew a holding penalty 50 seconds into the game.
The final 59:10 turned out to be a mere affirmation of what we saw then, and probably what we should have seen all along: The Penguins, their 2016-17 eulogy being penned by some, responded in resounding fashion.
By key players. In important elements of the game. All over the ice as the Penguins' 6-0 win against the Predators in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday at PPG Paints Arena put them one win away from the franchise's fifth Stanley Cup.
One that would bring with it some historical significance, too; if the Penguins can win Game 6 on Sunday at Bridgestone Arena, they'll become the first repeat Cup winners since the Red Wings in 1997-98.
Leading the charge, of course, was Crosby. Early, late, in the middle, didn't matter. He contributed three assists and was unquestionably the best player on the ice.
At this point, it's almost crazy to think that Crosby and Evgeni Malkin combined for zero shots on goal in Game 3.
Malkin said the Penguins would win Thursday, and Phil Kessel would score a goal.
Check and check.
Malkin's was a beauty, too. Off a pass from Kessel, getting enough on a wobbling puck for a 3-0 Penguins lead late in the first period, the exclamation point on a superb start. Malkin fought Roman Josi in the third to complete the Gordie Howe Hat Trick.
Want more reasons to feel dumb about doubting this bunch?
How about Kessel scoring the Penguins fifth goal and adding two more assists? Kessel spoke following practice on Wednesday and said he felt like he was close to busting out of his slump.
Turns out he was right. No more obvious was that when his snapper beating Predators backup Juuse Saros from the top of the slot.
Many wondered where the Penguins power play had gone. Its precise coordinates were located at 1:31 of the first period.
With Ellis in the box, Justin Schultz pushed a shot through to snap an 0-for-15 skid for that unit in the series.
It was part of fast start for the Penguins in this one that should serve as evidence that they indeed grasped the severity of the situation; nobody wanted to go to Nashville facing elimination, having lost three in a row.
So the Penguins worked from the drop of the puck, accounting for six of the first seven shots on goal.
Bryan Rust made it 2-0 with his seventh goal of the playoffs, a backhander that came at 6:43. Chris Kunitz contributed a deft setup, and Rust went high and across the grain with his shot.
After that, the Penguins worked a little too hard, picking up their fifth bench minor of the postseason for too many men on the ice at 10:06.
A solid penalty kill ensued, with Ron Hainsey knocking down Calle Jarnkrok in the corner and Ian Cole recording a key shot block.
Then there was Crosby giving all-out effort _ some might argue illegal effort _ during a battle with P.K. Subban behind the Penguins net. Crosby slammed Subban's head off the ice, Subban put Crosby in a headlock, and both went off for holding.
Another hot topic before this one was the goaltender _ Matt Murray or Marc-Andre Fleury? _ but midway through the second period, the biggest question was whether Murray could stay awake.
And, looking back, why did anyone doubt Penguins coach Mike Sullivan's judgment here? He picked Murray, his guy, the same as he did entering Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final, and the team responded to Murray both times.
There was zero hesitation, and zero hiccup on Murray's part, the result a shutout for the young goaltender.
Many also wanted to bury the Penguins defensemen after their trip to Nashville. In Game 5, however, breakouts were decidedly cleaner, puck-decisions were much, much better, and Ron Hainsey chipped in offensively.
In addition to a secondary helper on Malkin's tally, Hainsey was the beneficiary of a ridiculous Malkin pass for the Penguins' sixth goal.
Another with a point to prove had to be Conor Sheary, who scored the Penguins' fourth goal. Remember when Sheary seemingly forgot how to play hockey? Not anymore.
Sid and the Kids was the best that line has looked since the early part of the postseason, and Sheary's improvement accounts for a large reason why.
Nashville had a physical edge for parts of this series, but it seemed like the Penguins as a whole weren't willing to take it anymore.
At 13:02 of the second period, Olli Maatta and Trevor Daley banded together to protect Murray and step up physically on Filip Forsberg. Carl Hagelin fought Viktor Arvidsson in the third, the same time as Malkin and Josi went at it.
In the second, Matt Cullen jostled with Josi, perhaps ticked off about several hits from behind he's absorbed in this series.
Watching Cullen shout and shove with Josi might have come as a surprise, but the Penguins responding to their premature burial, on home ice, led by their stars, was hardly a shock on this night.
