Conor Sheary scored in overtime as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the San Jose Sharks 2-1 on Wednesday night to take a 2-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup final.
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The Sharks had the best road record in the regular season, were 5-1 in games following a loss this postseason and had won each of their Game 2s so far. And they figure they can do it with the kind of play we saw in the second period Monday, when they wiped out a 2-0 deficit with a pair of goals.
Pittsburgh outshot San Jose 41-26 in the game, marking the 10th consecutive game in which the Penguins have outshot their opponent.
San Jose was frustrated by its slow start in Game 1 and though there were an encouraging opening few minutes in Game 2, the Sharks were again stymied by Pittsburgh’s speed and pressure. Bonino will still get a very well-deserved assist on the play. The closest comparison to what they face now is how they were able to bounce back after a 2-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues in Game 1 of the Western Conference final.
Pittsburgh’s Phil Kessel scored midway through the second period, tapping the puck in from the right side of the net after getting set up by Nick Bonino and Carl Hagelin, a line that has combined to contribute 50 points in 20 playoff games.
If not for Martin Jones, who stopped 22-of-23 shots through 40 minutes and 28 of 30 overall, the Sharks may not have had an opportunity to rally and force overtime.
Officially, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said Rust is a “game-time decision” after Patrick Marleau’s borderline hit knocked Rust out of the final 10 minutes of Game 1. Despite being down two games in this series, at least the Sharks have had success on home ice at SAP Center in San Jose, where they are 7-1 in the playoffs.
It would be a really great story if Marleau and even Thornton for that matter if they could finish the job and capture their first Stanley Cup each but also the first Stanley Cup in the 25-year history of the San Jose Sharks organization.
Marleau is a 18-year National Hockey League player playing every game for the franchise that drafted him second overall in 1997, the San Jose Sharks.
Forty-four of 49 teams to take a 2-0 Final lead since 1939 have gone on to claim the Stanley Cup. I think we can do a lot better. They’ll try and do what Nashville did to them in the second round, winning games three and four at home after dropping the first pair on the road.
To prevent that, the Sharks have to clean up their defensive zone exits and manage the puck better through the neutral zone.
“We have to earn them, ” he said. Sharks are now 0-4 in overtime this postseason.
The play started when Sharks defenceman Roman Polak flubbed on a passing attempt in front of his own goal, teammate Brenden Dillon unable to control the puck thereafter. Times like Wednesday night, when Crosby’s improvisation helped move the Penguins within two victories of the Stanley Cup. I think we realize that..
Jones was very good in making 38 saves, including 17 in the third period, and was the main reason the Sharks had a chance to steal Game 1.
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“When we do that we become a very hard team to play against”.
