Pittsburgh Penguins
Last time out, Conor Sheary and the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the San Jose Sharks quickly in overtime. Now, entering Game 3 on the road and up 2-0 in the series, the Penguins are just two wins away from hoisting the Cup.
The Penguins have seen a mix of both veteran and rookie presence in this series, which has been devastating for the Sharks. While not scoring a ton, Sidney Crosby has been stellar for the Penguins, and Evgeni Malkin has been his superstar self, as well. Perhaps more importantly is that Bryan Rust and Sheary, both rookies, have contributed in a big way. Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel continue to be dominant on Pittsburgh’s third line, the HBK line.
On defense, Kris Letang has really stepped up, and the Penguins have played well. Goaltender Matt Muray has continued his solid play in between the pipes.
This is going to be a pivotal game for the Penguins — if the Sharks rebound with a win this evening, the series will become very interesting.
San Jose Sharks
The host team will be without left winger Tomas Hertl because of a lower-body injury — he was on the receiving end of a hard hit by Patric Hornqvist in the third period of Game 2. Hertl typically plays on the Sharks’ first line, with captain Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton.
Thus far in the playoffs, Hertl has 11 points (6 G, 5 A). In this series, he scored a power-play goal in Game 1 and hit the goalpost three times in Game 2.
“He’s arguably been our best player through the first two games,” head coach Peter DeBoer said after his team’s optional skate Friday. “Injuries are no excuse this time of year. We’ve got someone that will go in for him, and we’ll roll out there and be ready to play.”
That “someone” who will go in for Hertl will likely be veteran Dainius Zubrus.
Prediction
Despite the Sharks having home ice advantage, the Penguins aren’t going to let go of the opportunity to really put the final nail in San Jose’s coffin. Pittsburgh has outplayed the Sharks (overall) in ever single game — even if the final scores may not reflect this. Both Crosby and Malkin have made a major impact on the game, but they have yet to be the true difference-maker in either of the first two games. That could very well change tonight.
The Penguins are going to continue to play their fast-paced, attacking style of game. Pittsburgh wins 3-1.
Where: SAP Center, San Jose, CA
When: Saturday, June 4 @ 8:00 p.m.
Watch: NBCSN, CBC, TVA
Image credit: Jamie Sabau/Getty Images
