NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Much was made coming into Game 4 of the Stanley Cup final Monday night about how both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were held without a shot on goal in the previous game.
Crosby rectified that, scoring his first Stanley Cup final goal since 2009 in the first period. But that was the only offense the Penguins mustered in their 4-1 loss to Nashville, which evened the series at two games apiece. Malkin, too, finished the night with two shots on goal and five shot attempts.
The problem, though, is that even though the stars might have started to show up for the Penguins Monday night, their scoring depth effectively evaporated in these two games in Nashville, a significant reason this series is coming back to Pittsburgh tied up rather than with the Penguins ahead.