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Penguins go for the Stanley Cup while Predators try to prolong their remarkable season

Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis (4) battles Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) for position during a Stanley Cup Final game. Ellis is questionable for Game 6.
(Mark Humphrey / Associated Press)
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Greetings from Bridgestone Arena. The Stanley Cup will be in the house Sunday night because the Pittsburgh Penguins, who hold a 3-2 lead over the Nashville Predators in the best-of-seven Cup Final series, can win their second straight NHL title with a victory Sunday night. If the Predators win at home — where they’re 9-1 in the playoffs — the Cup will go to the winner of Game 7 on Wednesday at Pittsburgh. The Penguins are trying to become the first team to win the Cup two seasons in a row since the Detroit Red Wings did it in 1997 and 1998.

It’s not clear whether defenseman Ryan Ellis will play Sunday, when the Predators will face elimination for the first time in their surprising postseason run. Ellis, who was injured during the second period of the team’s 6-0 loss in Game 5 at Pittsburgh on Thursday and didn’t return, skated by himself Sunday morning and didn’t participate in the Predators’ optional practice. Coach Peter Laviolette doesn’t discuss lineup decisions, so reporters and fans get no help there. If Ellis can’t play, Laviolette can turn to Anthony Bitetto or Brad Hunt.

Defenseman Roman Josi, who leads the Predators with an average of 25 minutes and 47 seconds of ice time per game, said he doesn’t expect to play even more minutes on Sunday. “The coaching staff has done a pretty good job of spreading the minutes out,” he said. “We’ll see.”

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Josi also said the Predators’ play at the start of the game will be a crucial test after they gave up two goals in Game 5 before the seven-minute mark of the first period.

“It’s definitely important. We want to come out aggressive and get on the attack right away,” Josi said. “It’s always important to have a good start and the first goal is really important, so we’ve got to make sure we’re ready when the puck drops.”

Laviolette said he’s looking for a stronger defensive game Sunday than he saw on Thursday.

“If you go back through the entire playoffs, we hadn’t really had a bad game. There might have been a game that we won that we weren’t on top of our game, we ended up winning the game.” he said. “But as far as losses go, we’ve been competitive in every game. We need to do a better job not only structurally but with speed and competitiveness in tonight’s game to be successful.

“We weren’t very good in Game 5. I wouldn’t say that that’s how we’ve been in the playoffs or resembles who we are and how we’ve played, but it happened, and we need to be better than that.”

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said his players are taking a business-as-usual approach even though being one victory away from claiming the Cup isn’t their usual situation.

“They go about their routines like we always do,” he said “I think they understand the opportunity that’s in front of us, and I think they’re looking forward to the challenge. But they also understand that it’s going to be a hard-fought battle, and we’re going to have to bring our best in order to have success. And so, you know, that’s the mindset that I believe our players are in. They understand that we’ve got to go out and earn everything we get.”

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Jake Guentzel, who has tied an NHL rookie record by collecting 21 points in the playoffs, said he learned in the Penguins’ first two games here that Bridgestone Arena is a difficult place for visitors.

“It’s going to be tough. You expect the crowd to be really going and they’re going to be desperate,” he said. “The start is key for us, and we have to be ready.”

He’s ready to lift the Cup. “It’s hard to fathom how close you are but you know how tough it’s going to be,” he said, with a grin. “It’s going to be an exciting game and I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be the toughest one to get.”

helene.elliott@latimes.com

Twitter: @helenenothelen

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