Nashville coach Peter Laviolette was so concerned that Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin would take criticism to heart that he wanted everyone to stop talking about it.
No shots for the Pittsburgh Penguins’ top stars in Game 3 led to one of Crosby’s best games of the playoffs in Game 4, even though the Predators won it to even the Stanley Cup Final.
Going into Game 5 on Thursday night, Crosby and Malkin are still in the wide-open Conn Smythe Trophy race – along with some less-familiar faces.
Malkin has the most points in the playoffs with 26 and Crosby is second with 24.