NHL Stanley Cup Finals: Pittsburgh Penguins 2 SJ Sharks 4 recap and analysis

1st Period PIT 2 SJ 3

The Sharks started the game in the way they never do in this series, scoring a goal first and also this has been the first time they went ahead in this series and they did it with with 1:04 played in the game with Burns who received the puck behind the net from Karlsson then he made a circling move and beat Murray from the low circle under the crossbar on the short side. Few minutes later the visitor stunned the crowd doubling their advantage with Couture who deflected a blue line wrister from Braun, Penguins reaction didn't wait to come and it arrived on power play provocateur by a Zubrus delay of the game penalty, the first power play unit made a very good puck movement that left Malkin free on the right circle when he tried (in my opinion) to pass it to Bonino but he found Braun's deflection that beat Jones. Not even 10 seconds later the Penguins tied it recovering a puck in the neutral zone then Bonino shot on goal finding Hagelin's shoulder deflection that beat Jones to continue the great trend of the "HBK" line. Pittsburgh gained trust in themselves and the drawn a Burns' high sticking penalty, on the following power play the hit 2 posts with Kessel in 2 different well designed plays that left him free to shot. 5:13 to go in the first period when everything was going into Penguins' way the Sharks have been able to establish their circling game using their physical advantage and they have been able to put up an awesome play ended with a marvelous back hand pass by Couture to Karlsson who scored a key goal for his team.

2nd Period PIT 2 SJ 3

The rhythm of the game slew down especially on offense where the amazing numbers of the first period hasn't been even close on the second one, in fact the Sharks shot on goals just few times in all  the period, on the other side the Penguins tried to score in especially from the short distance but Martin Jones played a great period deny them every chance. This period has been characterized by high quantity of vicious contacts resulted in nervous reactions and a waste of energies. Both teams had a power play on this period but even on that situation they haven't been able to create scoring chances.

3rd Period PIT 2 SJ 4

The third period started in the same way the second one ended with the Penguins at the desperate research of the tying goal and their best scoring chances came from medium-long distance shots with screens in front of Jones to try to beat him but in this period the Sharks' goalie has been just too good for all the Penguins players, in my opinion they should try to get more aggressive on forechecking to try to regain puck possession in place like behind Jones' net where he should have issues to know where the puck would be and where the puck would go instead to try to score on a deflection or on a rebounded puck in front of the net. The Sharks on the other side did nothing offensively until Pavelski score the fourth goal of the game for his team, an empty neter with 1:20 left to play in the game being patient to avoid Pens sliding.

MY 3 Stars of the game

1 Jones

2 Burns

3 Kessel