San Jose Sharks goalie Martin Jones (31) deflects a shot from Nashville Predators’ Viktor Arvidsson (38) during the second period of Game 1 in an NHL hockey Stanley Cup Western Conference semifinal series Friday, April 2… The Predators obviously have some great playmakers too, but many simply didn’t show up in San Jose for the first two games.
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To boot, Nashville has never come back after trailing a series 2-0, and the Sharks are 7-2 in the playoffs with a two-game series lead. Joe Pavelski leads San Jose with six goals, Brent Burns has nine assists and Logan Couture has 17 shots on goal. That can’t be a good omen for a team that has had the terrible luck that San Jose has.
The Sharks become the only team to jump out to a 2-0 series lead in the second round. “I think it’s just the atmosphere of the crowds whether it’s home or away. It’s fun. Everyone is ramped up”. Sure Rinne has made some highlight-reel saves, including absolutely robbing Joonas Donskoi at the beginning of the second period last night, but he’s still been on the losing end of both contests.
“The first 40 minutes we were spinning our wheels a little bit”, coach Peter DeBoer said. “We weathered the storm as best we could”. Some credit to them for bottling things up. When the Sharks’ second power play unit came on the ice halfway through the penalty, defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic broke a stick on a shot and the pieces of shattered wood covered the ice. Very rarely are going to be beat him with straight shots, so we have to find a way to score in other ways.
After chipping a rebounded puck past Pekka Rinne and into the back of the net, Joe Pavelski busted into an epic goal celebration – cranking his right fist back so far that he took a knee, then punching up into the air like Mario trying to bust open of block of bricks. Jones is now 6-1 as a playoff starter and has allowed two goals or less in five of his seven games. He proved he could do it just as well against the Predators.
Mattias Ekholm tied the game earlier in the third and Ryan Johansen also scored for Nashville. They will surely keep playing hard on their home ice. That s getting pucks to the net from different angles. “I definitely look at myself and my line and guys I’m out on the ice with to be big producers”. “You just have to refocus”.
The San Jose forecheck was more about hounding the Preds’ puck-moving defensemen and forcing turnovers.
But Couture and Wingels answered with the empty-netters to clinch the win.
With the potential to fall behind 3-0, the Predators will likely crank up the intensity level even higher with the crowd behind them in Game 3.
The Predators struck early in the second after Matt Nieto was sent to the box for tripping in the offensive zone.
The Sharks couldn’t solve Rinne for the first two periods, but scored on their 27th shot as Hertl scored from in close to tie the game 1-1 just2:37 into the third period. Of the Sharks eight goals, three have been on the Power Play and three have been into an empty net.
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Down two games in the series, the Predators face a must-win game at home to the Sharks.
