The only thing better than Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final is Game 7.

If "Winner gets the Cup" is played, it will be contested Wednesday in Pittsburgh. Whether it happens is up to the Nashville Predators. And the Penguins, too, we suppose.

Here's the tale of the tape after five games, each won by the home team:

Game 6 is at 8 p.m. ET in Nashville.

Is the Stanley Cup Final going the distance?

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Do or die. Win or go home. Leave it all on the line.

Pick your cliche, because they all apply to the Nashville Predators in advance of Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Bridgestone Arena will no doubt be rocking Sunday, partly due to excitement and partly due to the nausea-inducing anxiety that comes when a team is facing elimination in a championship series.

In order to push the series to a decisive Game 7 back in Pittsburgh, the Predators will need to provide the right answers to the following questions:

Will Ryan Ellis play?

After being forced out of Game 5 with an unspecified injury, Ellis' availiability for Game 6 is up in the air, and that could spell big trouble for Nashville.

"He's obviously a huge part of our defense," Ellis' defense partner Roman Josi said Saturday, per Robby Stanley of NHL.com. "He's been unbelievable all season. He's been great in the playoffs.

"His hockey sense is really good. He makes the right plays, he always makes the right decision and he's a great leader on our team."

While Ellis averages the fewest minutes among Nashville's formidable defensive foursome - which also includes Josi, P.K. Subban, and Mattias Ekholm - he ranks second to Josi in goals (five) and points (13). He's also played a huge role in keeping the opposition at bay with solid play in his own zone.

Ellis didn't skate Saturday, and Matt Irwin is expected to see an uptick in minutes if Ellis can't go. That drop off may be too big to overcome.

Which Pekka Rinne will show up?

It's been a tale of two Rinne's so far during the Cup Final.

In Pittsburgh, he's been, in a word, bad. But on home ice, he's given his team a fighting chance, and he'll need to post similar numbers in order to push the series to seven games.

Here's a look at Rinne's roller coaster ride over the past five games.

At this point, Nashville's best hope is to hold serve at home and hope Rinne can pretend Game 7 is being played at Bridgestone. Recent history suggests the former is entirely possible, if not probable.

Can Filip Forsberg beat Matt Murray?

Game 6 would be the perfect time for Forsberg to break out.

After having shared the regular-season team lead in goals with Viktor Arvidsson (31), Forsberg leads Nasvhille once again with nine in the postseason. Only one of those, however, has come against the Penguins, and that was into an empty net to boot.

So far, Forsberg has fired 13 shots on Murray, with nothing to show for it.

This is where the loss of center Ryan Johansen is being felt, and hopefully someone, anyone, can get Forsberg the puck with some regularity on Sunday.

Arvidsson, by the way, has one goal on seven shots against Murray, and he too would do well to find the back of the net before it's too late.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Braden Holtby is walking the walk.

For the second year in a row, the Washington Capitals goalie showed his support for the LGBTQ community by participating in the Capital Pride Parade along with his wife Brandy.

Fans and fellow parade participants were certainly fired up to see Holtby at the event.

Back in February, Holtby was named the Capitals' You Can Play club ambassador, thereby taking on the role of leader in the locker room and in the community on diversity, equality, and inclusion, as well as agreeing to lead the way in the fight against homophobia in sports.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Matt Cullen would love nothing more than to go out on top.

The Pittsburgh Penguins center has admitted it's probable he'll retire at season's end and head home to Minnesota with his family. Ideally, that'll happen on a winning note.

"It’s pretty likely that this will be the end, and if it is, I’d love it to be holding that sucker again," Cullen said of the Cup, per Michael Russo of the Star-Tribune. "That would be pretty unreal. We’re so close."

Related: Penguins' Sullivan views Cullen as 'extension of our coaching staff'

A series win over the Nashville Predators would make the 40-year-old a three-time Cup champion, previously hoisting "that sucker" as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes (2006) and last year with the Penguins.

Just don't expect Cullen to pull a Mark Recchi and make an announcement amid a Cup celebration.

"I know enough just to give myself time," the 19-year NHL veteran said. "It’s a decision that deserves a little time. It carries a lot of weight, for me at least. I’ll get away from it, and then decide."

The Penguins are one win away from another Cup, with Game 6 set for Sunday in Nashville. Cullen has contributed two goals and seven assists in 24 games this postseason.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Shayne Gostisbehere and the Philadelphia Flyers agreed on a six-year, $27-million extension Friday (with a $4.5-million cap hit), locking up the 24-year-old defenseman through the 2022-23 season.

After Gostisbehere racked up 17 goals and 29 assists in an enthralling 64-game rookie campaign, the Flyers' dynamic rearguard dipped to seven goals and 39 points in 76 contests in 2016-17, a regression that likely saved Philadelphia's brass a pretty penny.

Gostisbehere's new deal is great for the Flyers' books, but since he's the first of numerous defensemen needing fresh contracts to sign this offseason, it also sets a precedent for what comparable players will request - and ultimately earn - in negotiations this summer.

For reference, here are the contract figures and stats of four notable would-be restricted free-agent defensemen that signed extensions in 2016.

Let's look at three prominent RFA blue-liners and how Gostisbehere's pact might affect them.

RFAs

Colton Parayko
Team: St. Louis Blues
Age: 24
2016-17 Points: 35
'16-'17 Cap Hit: $858,750

Parayko is the Blues' main priority this offseason, and using Gostisbehere's deal as a reference point should earn him some extra dough.

Though Gostisbehere's offensive numbers look better on paper, Parayko was incredibly snakebitten this season, firing 206 shot attempts before finding the back of the net for the first time in January. Parayko holds a significant size advantage over Gostisbehere and is superior at both shot generation and suppression while commanding more ice time. A deal worth $5 million-$6 million annually could very well be in the works.

Justin Schultz

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

Team: Pittsburgh Penguins
Age: 26
2016-17 Points: 51
'16-'17 Cap Hit: $1.4M

Schultz presents an interesting case. After arriving in Pittsburgh to help aid the Penguins' 2016 Cup run, the Oilers castoff earned a one-year deal and finished seventh among all defensemen in scoring with 51 points. He's also played a significant role in leading Pittsburgh back to the final, where the team sits one win away from a second consecutive championship.

Schultz has proven himself more than capable of filling a top-four role during his Penguins tenure, and if decent offensive numbers can fetch Gostisbehere $4.5 million, it's easy to imagine Schultz might be after a similar number.

Dmitry Orlov

Team: Capitals
Age: 25
2016-17 Points: 33
'16-'17 Cap Hit: $2.57M

Change is on the horizon in Washington, and Orlov has a chance to parlay his career season into a significant raise.

Orlov's offensive totals don't rival Gostisbehere's, but with Kevin Shattenkirk and Karl Alzner bound to test the free-agent market, the Russian's role is destined to grow within the Capitals' scheme. He was second among Washington defensemen with 24 points at five-on-five this season, and owned the group's highest Corsi For rating per 60 minutes at 59.01.

With underlying numbers worthy of top-pairing deployment and a prospering offensive game, Orlov's new contract is a top priority for general manager Brian MacLellan. The Capitals might be wise to write him a cheque similar to Gostisbehere's now, rather than risk forking over even more money down the road.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan had some high praise for his veteran forward following Saturday's practice.

"I look at (Matt Cullen) as an extension of our coaching staff," Sullivan told Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "That's how highly we think of him."

Cullen has played 19 seasons in the NHL, so this amount of respect comes with good measure. Having such a veteran leader is crucial on a team with several young players, such as Jake Guentzel and Conor Sheary, in their first or second year in the league.

Though he's certainly a valuable asset off the ice, Cullen has proven to be just as valuable on the ice.

Without the injured Nick Bonino in the lineup the past three games, he has stepped into a third-line role, averaging more than 17 minutes per night. That's a lot when you consider he's 40 years old, making him the third-oldest active player behind Shane Doan (40 years, 243 days) and Jaromir Jagr (44).

His biggest contributions have come in the faceoff circle, where he's won 60 percent of his draws in the last three games and 56.5 percent overall in the postseason.

The grizzled veteran is seeking his third Stanley Cup ring. Given his winning pedigree and his proven leadership qualities, it wouldn't be surprising if Cullen got into coaching after he hangs 'em up.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Phil Housley will reportedly sit down with the Buffalo Sabres when the Stanley Cup Final is over.

The Buffalo Sabres are waiting for the championship round to conclude before interviewing the Nashville Predators assistant coach for their head coaching vacancy, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie.

Housley joined the Predators' coaching staff in the spring of 2013, about five months after guiding the United States to a gold-medal victory in the World Junior Championship.

He has a long history of experience with USA Hockey as a coach and a player, and ranks fourth all time in points by a defenseman in NHL history.

The Stanley Cup Final resumes with Game 6 on Sunday night, and if necessary, Game 7 will be played Wednesday.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.