Stanley Cup Final Game 1 Recap

Penguins Score Late, Beat Sharks in Game 1

         The first game of the 2016 Stanley Cup Final featured plenty of excitement that we all hope continues for the remainder of the series. The Penguins got off to a quick start, but the Sharks fought back in the 2^nd, giving us an entertaining 3^rd period. Here’s how it happened:

         To begin, both teams came out with speed, but it was the Penguins who got many of the early scoring chances. Thanks to their goaltender Martin Jones, the Sharks prevented Pittsburgh from getting on the board early. That was until Bryan Rust capitalized on a lucky bounce off the skate of Marc-Edouard Vlasic at 12:46 to put the Penguins up 1-0. A minute later, the Penguins struck again when Conor Sheary received a perfect pass from Sidney Crosby and slung the puck high shortside on Jones.

         Though trailing 2-0 after one period, there was no panic in the Sharks locker room during intermission, nor was there any on the Sharks bench at the start of the 2^nd. They had been in this situation many times before and the game was far from over. The Sharks dominated the period, giving the Penguins a run for their money. Tomas Hertl scored a power play goal off the leg of Olli Maatta at 3:02. Though the Penguins survived the Shark attack for most of the period, they couldn’t stop Patrick Marleau from tying the game on a wrap around goal at 18:12.

         The Sharks had finally settled in, and had gotten into quite a comfortable position. Everyone could sense that there was a sort of uncertainty in the building during the 2^nd intermission. If the Sharks scored early in the 3^rd, they would silence the crowd and gain some positive energy. Pittsburgh, however, was ready for San Jose’s inevitable attack. Both teams traded chances in a very tight 3^rd period.

         Though there was no scoring for a majority of the 3^rd, things did start to get a little chippy. Early in the period, 3 players were simultaneously serving the remainder of penalties they had committed late in the 2^nd. To recap, Joe Pavelski tripped Brian Dumoulin behind the net on a questionable call. At the same time, Joe Thornton cross-checked and punched Evgeni Malkin. Malkin then retaliated by slashing Thornton back.

         The lit powder keg finally exploded when Patrick Marleau’s shoulder made contact with Bryan Rust’s head on a high hit. Fortunately, Rust made a quick return to the bench after going to the dark room. Marleau was now the villain in the eyes of the Penguins and their fans. Later on, Pittsburgh got a little bit of revenge when Ian Cole slammed Marleau into the boards on a hard but clean hit.

         Late in the period, the Penguins took advantage of a brief defensive gap by the Sharks. Brent Burns, one of the best defensemen in hockey right now, dropped his stick when pursuing the puck in the corner. When he saw the opportunity, Kris Letang sent a pass directly to the tape of Nick Bonino in the slot. He had the calmness and patience to carefully aim his shot before shooting it past Jones’s blocker at 17:27. The Penguins had broken the tie late in the game, and now had a chance to snatch a game 1 victory.

         With 2:09 to go in regulation, Ben Lovejoy was called for a hook against Patrick Marleau. The Sharks would attempt to tie the game by pulling their goalie and outnumbering the Penguins 6-4. San Jose, however, was never able to establish sustained pressure in the Pittsburgh zone. Part of it was due to the fact that the Penguins could ice the puck while shorthanded. With the Sharks never able to set up, Pittsburgh held on to win game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. Game 2 is Wednesday night at Consol Energy Center.