The Pittsburgh Penguins took control from the drop of the puck in the first period. The Penguins showed tremendous intensity, and outshot the San Jose Sharks 15 to 4 in the first period. Bryan Rust continued his surprise production at the 12:46 point of the 1st period when he banged home a rebound past Sharks goalie Martin Jones. Fellow rookie Conor Sheary gave the Penguins a 2-0 lead at the 13:48 mark. Sheary cashed in on a beautiful pass from Sidney Crosby. Rookies Rust and Sheary played a big part of the 2-0 lead. Coach Mike Sullivan was asked about their importance,
“They’ve been a big part of this team for so long now. It doesn’t surprise us. These guys are good hockey players. They add another element to our team. The energy that they bring, the enthusiasm that they bring to the rink. They’ve stepped up and made some big plays for us, not just scoring goals. Conor gets a big goal tonight. I thought he was real good. He was on the puck. He was quick. I thought he played that give and go game with Sid. When he plays that way, he’s a real good player. Rusty, I think his speed is so evident out there. His pursuit on the forecheck. Scores another big goal for us.
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The Sharks bounced back in the second period. Playing right with the Penguins who definitely had a jump in their step tonight. Tomas Hertl scored his 6th goal of the playoffs at the 3:02 point of the 2nd period. The goal was scored on the power play. Play in the second period went back and forth with the Sharks outshooting the Penguins 13-8. Patrick Marleau evened the score at 2-2 at the 18:12 mark. Brent Burns had his second assist of the period on the play.
Pittsburgh sealed the win at the 17:27 mark when Nick Bonino shelved a shot into the upper corner. Kris Letang gathered the puck along the end boards before sending a pass, through the stick-less defender Burns, right onto the stick of Bonino. Bonino beat Martin Jones short-side. The Sharks did not manage any scoring chances in the final two minutes despite having a power play for the final two minutes. Bonino clutch goal went on to be the game winner. Bonino described the game winning goal, “Yeah, just came into the zone a little bit late. I saw Tanger in the corner. Haggy was down there battling with him. Wasn’t sure if I should get out of there and get above their guys. They kept it alive and Tanger put it right on my stick. It’s one of those shots that wasn’t my hardest shot by any means, but just found a way to kind of flip it over him. Great pass from Tanger.”
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The Penguins will take the 1-0 series lead to Game 2 on Wednesday night. The Penguins will continue the home-ice advantage, as Game 2 will be played at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh. The game can be seen on NBC Sports in the US, and CBC in Canada.
Brad Burud the owner/editor of the Inside Edge Hockey News. I am a huge fan of hockey, from youth hockey, to junior hockey, and of course professional hockey. I have played, coached, worked as statistician, and watched hockey all of my life. Hockey is not just a game, it is a lifestyle and family. The game of hockey is great! It can bring you nights of great enjoyment. It also brings nights where you feel like your team will never win. I am proud to be a journalist for the greatest game in the world. I have a degree in Business Administration, Psychology from Minot State University. I also have a Hockey General Manager and Scouting, and Sports Communications/Journalism degree from Sports Management Worldwide. I am also a member of the Sports Executives Association. Most of all I am a fan. Hockey is a huge part of my life and my families life.