1st Period SJ 1 PIT 1
Trailing 2-0 in the series and hosting their first ever stanley cup finals game the Sharks tried to start fast but even the Pens did the same so we saw the first 3 minutes of high intensity but without any scoring chance, it seems to change when Ward committed an high sticking penalty but the Penguins haven't been able to create anything due to continue missunderstandings. The visitors scored few moments later due to a very well done forechecking and also due to a bad handling of the puck by goalie Martin Jones that arrived to Lovejoy on the blue line who shot immediately finding the back of the net even thanks to a Sharks' player deflection. San Josè didn't lose the concentration and the hopes reacting with an energetic forechecking and it paid off with 9:34 played in the period when Thornton gained the possession of the puck and immediately he made a perfect assist to Braun who was alone in the middle of the ice where he released a perfect wrist shot to beat Murray under the crossbar.
Sharks' forechecking continue to be effective but on a breakaway they left Kessel alone with Jones who made a key save on a insidious wrist shot, since that moment the home team put more energy on forechecking being able to establish puck possession on the offensive zone but without finding the goal.
2nd Period SJ 1 PIT 2
The Sharks tried to impose their hockey right from the first minutes of this period being aggressive and trying to make quick passes to move the puck quickly avoiding the defense to be well positioned, they got their first scoring chance with Burns who received a great between the leg pass from behind the net by Carlsson but he found a ready Murray that denied him the goal, the same happened few minutes later when Ward one on one against the Pittsburgh goalie saw his shot stopped even after an elusive move. Since that moment the Sharks dominated the game being able to recover pucks with their forechecking and also have a very good puck movement in the offensive zone once they got it but they always find a ready Murray who denied every chance they had until with 52.3 seconds left in the period has been the Penguins' forechecking that recovered a puck behind Sharks' net and with a very similar play to their first goal the puck arrived again to Lovejoy in the same position of his last goal released a wrister that this time hit Hornqvist and ended in the back of the net.
3rd Period SJ 2 PIT 2
San Josè in desperate need to at least score a goal they had their first but huge chance with 15:11 left to play in this period when Bonino committed a double minor penalty for high sticking, for the first 3:59 of the penalty the Pens' penalty killers made an outstanding job cleaning the puck nearly everytime it entered in their zone but when Ward entered in the offensive zone and unleashed what in my opinion has been a bad shot Murray committed an high error and got beat under his left pad.
Since that both team tried hard to win it but none couldn't do it in regulation due to an high intensity on defense that prevent to build any chance to score.
Over Time SJ 3 PIT 2
Even if the Pens nearly doubled in shoot on goals the Sharks has been the home team in my opinion who had the most concrete scoring chances and the trend continue even in the overtime until with 12:18 played the Sharks forechecking gained the possession of the puck with Tierney who passed the puck to Donskoi who fresh off the bench had more energy than his opponent and he used it to take an advantage on him being able to score with an sudden wrist shot from the circle turning himself right to the net high under the crossbar because he was knowledge that Murray was down low.
MY 3 Stars of the game
1 Donskoi
2 Lovejoy
3 Jones
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