San Jose now trails the best-of-seven series 3-2 with Game 6 on Sunday night at SAP Center.
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Though he gave up two goals in 22 seconds to allow Pittsburgh back in the game, Martin Jones was a major reason why San Jose won Game 5.
The San Jose Sharks used a first period scoring frenzy to claim a 4-2 win and keep the Pittsburgh Penguins from clinching the Stanley Cup.
The other players to achieve the feat are Stan Mikita (for the Blackhawks in 1973 in Game 5 at the Montreal Canadiens), Dirk Graham (for the Blackhawks in 1992 in Game 4 vs. the Penguins) and Pavel Bure (for the Vancouver Canucks in 1994 in Game 5 at the Rangers).
“This team hasn’t quit all year and we’re not going to start now”, Jones said. “A little bit jittery, a little bit nervous at the start, but I really settled in after that”.
For as bad as Murray was early on – three of the first five shots he faced wound up in the back of the net – the game was about Jones.
The Penguins had a chance to win their fourth Stanley Cup in franchise history and first since 2009. They finally led for the first time in the series and didn’t relinquish the lead for the final 45 minutes. At this point, given how good Jones was, the guys on the team and all 20,000 outside should take whatever they can get.
“I could talk all day about what we’ve done”, Murray said, noting the shot-blocking efforts of teammates. “It was just one of those nights we couldn’t find that goal”.
It was the first goals of the series for Couture, Burns and Pavelski, as the Sharks improved to 2-0 in elimination games and 4-0 in Game 5s on their unforgettable playoff run. Joe Pavelski added an empty netter at 18:40 of the third period.
After the Sharks took a 3-2 lead at the end of a wild first period, Jones was locked in as he quietly swatted away 31 pucks off the Penguins’ sticks over the final two periods.
This latest loss marked his sixth game with at least three goals allowed, dating to that dazzling win against the Capitals at home.
According to war-on-ice, Jones made 19 high-danger saves, which are saves on shots from the slot or low slot.
“We are completely focused on coming out and playing the exact same way we’ve been playing for the last four months”, Lovejoy said.
Sometimes a goaltender is just better, and that’s what happened Thursday. He has been their best player throughout the Stanley Cup Final and looked more like the best goalie on the planet Thursday night. Pittsburgh’s long-awaited house party more than five decades in the making and most importantly his team’s breakthrough season from serving as mere fodder to a coronation for Sidney Crosby and company.
Nick Bonino got the Game 1 victor for Pittsburgh when the other goals were scored by rookies Sheary and Bryan Rust.
Instead, the Sharks had other plans.
The San Jose Sharks denied thousands of fans both inside Consol Energy Center and along the streets outside a chance to witness something more than just the Stanley Cup.
“Burns is in the rush all the time”, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said.
The Sharks got the lead they so desperately wanted, gave it away, then grabbed it back again, all in a pulsating first period of Game 5. The Sharks have rallied throughout the series, including an overtime victory in Game 3, but still have yet to play with a lead.
Nary two minutes later, just 2:53 into the game, Logan Couture made it 2-0 when he deflected home a Justin Braun point blast past Murray.
The Penguins have dominated shots on goal stats in the series and fought back to briefly tie the contest at 2-2 but were always facing an uphill battle once the Sharks regained a one-goal advantage in the dying moments of the first period.
That proved to be enough for the Sharks.
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“No one is going to hand it to you, we know that”, said Murray.
