Sharks Get Their first Bite of the Series
We have a series.
The San Jose Sharks avoided becoming the first team in NHL History to lose their first 5 overtime games in the playoffs and by doing so they have made it a series.
Joonas Donskoi provided the heroics scoring at 7:18 of overtime to give the Sharks a 3-2 victory in Game 3. San Jose was again badly outshot, 42-26, but for the first time this series the Sharks were able to play to their strengths by getting separation from the Penguins through the neutral zone and getting to work below the hash marks.
The Sharks had 76 shot attempts, the most shot attempts the Penguins have allowed since Matt Murray’s sensational performance in Game 3 vs the Capitals in Round 2.
This game was as close to a do or die as it can get for a San Jose team that has clearly looked like the inferior for games 1 and 2, and the first period of Game 3.
The Penguins were so good in Games 1 and 2 and dominant in so many areas, it’s only natural that there was probably some doubt in the Sharks room that they could actually win this series.
Getting the series to 2-1 will obviously be a jolt for San Jose going into Monday night, but strategically the way they were able to get to their heavy game for much longer stretches than the previous meetings and able to limit the Penguins speed more effectively through the neutral zone (awful ice also helps), is surely going to give San Jose a big mental boost in the short-term that they can play with the Penguins and win this thing.
When the Penguins took a risk, the Sharks were able to counter up the ice with much more speed and separation than at any point in Games 1 or 2.
Pittsburgh’s best players had mentally lapses in this one.
Kris Letang late on a four-minute penalty kill is thinking offense and trying to score a goal by jumping up in the play that results in a turnover and Joel Ward in transition blows a shot past Matt Murray to tie the game at 2-2 in the third.
Murray was very good for long stretches in this one but all anyone is going to be talking about is the final two goals against. The Ward shot happens to goaltenders every once in a while but obviously can’t happen in that situation.
The Joonas Donskoi overtime winner had Murray playing the situation/angle like Donskoi was going to make a jam play when coming around the net. By taking the puck wide and Murray already down, it left Murray vulnerable up high and Donskoi made a phenomenal shot.
“I thought Matt was solid,” Mike Sullivan said. “He made some big saves for us. He gave us a chance to win tonight.”
“He [Matt Murray] made some big saves for us,” Sidney Crosby said. “They were pressing there late and he made some saves. He gave us a chance after they got that goal and they got some momentum. He was really solid for us.”
The Ward goal was a play that should have never happened as Crosby should have got the puck deep and Letang should have never been driving to the net, and Donskoi should have been stopped in his tracks below the goal line by Evgeni Malkin.
What the Penguins get from Evgeni Malkin offensively hasn’t mattered. He has one goal in his last 15 games and since the Capitals series, he’s been the Penguins 8th or 9th most impactful forward.
Tonight what they got from him did matter and not in a good way.
Malkin had the puck on his stick 15 feet from the net in overtime to win it and shot it wide on an attempt that wasn’t even close to hitting the net.
He had 2 shots on goal, just 3 attempts with 0 blocked shots and 0 hits. He wasn’t engaged.
His effort defensively on the game winning goal was downright embarrassing. In Game 3 of a Stanley Cup Final, playing your own end like it’s a preseason game is just inexcusable.
Malkin played the Donskoi goal like it was a preseason game. There’s no way to defend Malkin.
Malkin has 3 inches and over 20 pounds on Donskoi. Easily should be able to out-muscle Donskoi and pin him into the boards, instead Malkin doesn’t try to take the body and gives him a tap with his stick as Donskoi freely blows by him.
The Penguins had 38 blocked shots in the game. Malkin had none, along with Justin Schultz as the only two players who didn’t block a shot. Centers Nick Bonino, Matt Cullen and Sidney Crosby combined for eight blocked shots.
In games tied late in regulation or in overtime, Malkin is a risk in the defensive zone because you don’t know if he’s going to be engaged or not. The centers in Mike Sullivan’s system call for them to put their bodies on the line and be in shooting lanes in the middle of the ice.
That is not Malkin.
He’s never going to be someone who plays Sullivan’s way in his own end and if you’re not, you better be playing a north-south game like Phil Kessel and being a difference maker offensively.
Malkin is neither right now and probably better suited on the wing in pressure situations.
Winning overlooks everything and it’s given Malkin a free pass this post-season.
This is Mike Sullivan’s team and will be for at least the next couple years. He coaches to the strengths of his offensively gifted players but he also demands all 18 skaters to play the right way in all three zones.
It’s why Malkin continues to get deployed as a third line forward.
Tonight in a game where the Penguins could have put a stranglehold on the series, Malkin again looked like a player who doesn’t mesh with what 90% of the other skaters are bringing to the table.
That probably still doesn’t need to change for Penguins to win their fourth Stanley Cup in franchise history, but it doesn’t mean his fit isn’t still concerning for the short-term and long-term.
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Only 2 players from pens had 0 block shots last game shultz and malkin and been saying very bad every time those 2 are on ice same time and overtime was another example
But Sid had that one – so he’s okay. You’re a moron.
https://media.giphy.com/media/MLkXvyQAuuky4/giphy.gif
I disagree with this notion that if the NHL does approve expansion soon that MAF needs to be moved sooner for better value. His value is always going to be higher at the trade deadline when teams are panicked and feel like the right addition could put them over the top. Dallas this past season would have been a perfect example, their offer over the off season would have been much smaller because there was no urgency to upgrade the position with Lehtonen & Niemi on the roster but at the td when they were 1 of the top teams… Read more »
Thats rare though, if your a buyer at the deadline, it usual means your team is in a good position, and more often than not your not going to be in a good position without a goalie. And especially dallas who already had over 10mil invested into 2 goalies, its very tough to do. The pens need to see what cal/edm or even Tor is willing to give up and hope MAF waives his NMC
I am with Jeff here… if they are in a place to win tending should probably not be as much an issue. The closer we get to the dead the more teams will have the leverage because we risk losing Murray if we play hardball IMO
The MAF move to me seems like more of an offseason move. Teams at the deadline are just gearing up for the playoffs – not restructuring their goaltending situation.
https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s–kjH0uM5w–/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/yntciohp3hghjpttlw1e.gif
I’m starting to hate all the gifs being posted on this site, mostly because it makes me feel like Sam or Yoda because I don’t know how to post them.
Just copy and paste the gif link, nothing more to it.
Here is the link I just posted below without the quotes. “https://media.giphy.com/media/l3E6xxDZC4AADCAE0/giphy.gif”
https://media.giphy.com/media/l3E6xxDZC4AADCAE0/giphy.gif
Just ask npl the master of stupidity
How dare you call anyone else stupid.
What about Sprong?
Ladd supposedly wants 41 million over the next 6 years??? No TY. Please stay away pappy.
lol fired up San Jose fans.
https://mobile.twitter.com/HkyNightPunjabi/status/739284148305727488/video/1
thats what i was saying the other day between 2nd and 3rd period what a bunch of bandwagon fans i knew pens have alot but this beats it
Geno and MAF, definitely, should be trade bait and likely moved in the coming off season.
If Toronto had any impact players, I trade both for their Firts pick and that player, plus another pick or two.
What would you do when they laugh at you and tell you said picks aren’t available?
If they go on to win the cup, which I still expect them to do, I make zero changes, come back with largely the same team, and see if anyone can beat me next year. Not begin to dismantle.
If they can get younger and free some cap space and get reasonable value in return then they should move fleury and/or Malkin. No team stays the same year to year.
No. Normally they do not. But that’s generally because contracts are ending, and players are retiring. presumed cup winners aren’t historically dropping integral pieces for funsies. More often than not their pieces are getting no unjustly overpaid by other teams because they’re ufa’s
I’m not convinced Murray is ready to carry bulk of games during regular season and as I said before trading fleury at the 2017 deadline probably fetches best return, but if someone comes calling this summer I’m listening. Ditto for Geno.
I respect this comment a lot… It’s very accurate IMO. Now here the kicker. If we want full value for MAF this summer may be the best option. The deeper into the season we go and the closer to the expansion draft, if it goes official, then the sooner we move him the better. It hinges on the NHLs decision.
And the real
Value with MAF comes from his contract. Locked up long term at a more than reasonable rate
…and the phone will be ringing off the hook for that playoff choker….please
You’re a fraud. Blow it up. Pens will be in the box for the first ten minutes. Yeah. You’re a voice to listen to.
Remember yogurt said in January, after Sullivan took over, that we wouldn’t make the playoffs?
man – he said it in MARCH after Murray was already here. The guy literally doesn’t know his asss from his elbow.
I though fleury and players with “no movement clauses” in their contract are protected from expansion draft
They have to be protected, the teams do not have the option. So he automatically becomes the one goalie picked to protect.
any trade for 71 is going to be a loss. Because any team trading for him at his age is going to consider him an important cog in a cup run. So you’re likely not getting players to fill holes. 71 isn’t on the block for me. I echo every word re: fleury aside from the trade deadline part.
I agree that no team stays the same year to year but that’s because most teams are trying to improve their teams, not weaken the team for the sake of change.
So you trust Murray to be ready to play 80 games next year?
You Ain’t getting anything for those two. Would you want them on your roster for several more seasons and a 16 mil cap hit?
You really are dumb as a fucking brick.
Yes and so woud the other 29 GMs in the league.
Just watched game. No need to over analyze. Murray sucked and cost them the game. He’s playing too deep in the net. When he does one out his angles are off. His rebound control is shaky. Pens in 5
He definitely needs to work on staying big in the net.
Agree with that “staying big” observation. I thought the goal he gave up in game two was bad too. It literally looked like he compressed himself. Puck sailed right past his glove
We must hold Murray to the same standards unlike the Hippocyte DK who said Murray blew it but never once wrote st bleury blew it. Murray let in 2 turds. If he doesn’t suck last night the pens win.
You’re a fraud.
I love when people take the Penguins in any amount of five, six, or seven games but then have a COMPLETE meltdown when they lose a game in the series. Sky is falling, don’t look up boys!
Not at all. It’s just yoda trashing everybody not named Murray to defend Murray. Sam trashing everybody that is not Canadian. And everybody else pointing out that they’re dumb by showing the players they defend were a part of if not the major reason for the loss.
So let’s take a second (ok maybe a paragraph or 2) and breakdown Yoda’s earlier post where he describes what he “watched” last night because it’s absolutely hilarious. 1) Malkin had zero points. Obviously anyone could look at a box score and see that but if you actually “watched” the game as Yoda claimed he did you would have seen that Malkin drove the play pretty much the entire game, had 6 individual shot attempts which was the same as Sid and 3 SOG which was 1 less than Sid’s 4. HE also led all forwards in shot differential at… Read more »
The Malkin bashing today would be akin to seeing half the board bitch about Crosby after game 1 when he was clearly their best player. It’s kinda baffling.
Malkin has 3 goals. A guy with his talent should have no less than 12. He sucks.
his dumb penalty taking streak is over now he is in a 3 game pointless streak in this series
Malkin is such a turd. $9.5M of solid waste, does absolutely nothing. Disengaged.
Don’t say that you might upset Mr Stan here. Malkin is amazing makes all kind of lazy passes takes offensive zone penalties yet with one goal or assist cheers the average bandwagon fans like npl and Stan
I challenge one of you to counter Jay’s Crosby / Malkin comparison point by point. Or to just shut up. Because you both are making yourselves look dumber than normal.
Allot of these here these analysis from the radio and tv folks and dont even understand the meaning post that stuff to look like they now- they no nothing jon snow
Look when we went up 2-0 I was hoping for a split in SJ. They gave us there best last night and they still took OT to beat us. They got to OT on a bad goal. We took their best and still had a chance to win in OT before they scored. We win Monday we will be fine. I still like our chances. Regroup and come out flying Monday! Believe people!
I dob’t think anybody lost belief. Its gonna be pens in 5. It’s just time to make Depaoli and Sam look like idiots.
I’m far more disappointed because 3-0 was right there. I’m certainly not worried.
I can’t wait to see Yoda and Depaoli’s head explode when Fleury is starting game 1 next year.
I can’t wait until the end of next season when they trade Fleury and Yoda tries to act that he was right because he’s predicted Fleury being traded 7 straight years.
I’m actually starting to feel bad for NBC, has to be the lowest SC ratings of all time because clearly very few Pens fans are watching the games.
Nothing a few penalty calls againt the pens can’t solve.
No because you have less Canadians watching the game
The NHL season ended in Canada two months ago. This has been glorious. Haven’t had to hear two anthems once.
I like when yoda types these paragraphs like anyone reads the ramblings of a fraud.
I disagree. I read every last word, it’s unfiltered entertainment. The longer they are the more hilarious they are.
Stanley Cup Final goals by scorer’s home country
USA 8
Canada 2
Czech 1
Sweden 1
Finland 1
It’s possible that Malkin’s so distracted by having the baby and how that has changed his life that it’s impacting his focus. I’ve seen it before with other NHL players over the years… .
having a kid energizes you. it should make him get better not worse. he’s on dope. no doubt about it.
Did you people even watch the game last night?
i watched him put up zero points, suck on the PP, not take the body, block zero shots, and let his man loose on the GWG OT goal. he sucked.
Interesting. I thought he looked pretty good.
He was their most noticeable forward for the latter 40 minutes. Aside from that he sucked, I guess.
Isn’t it easier just to type “no.”
Haha. That was good
He is been shitt last few years so I doubt it’s the baby excuse.
He must be injured like every year
I would say it’s possible but since he’s been a beast and 1 of the best players on the ice since Nikita was born, I would say it’s unlikely.
Really?
maybe murray sucked last night because he accidentally had malkin’s water bottle on top of his net. maybe murray got drunk.
why does the PP suck? A. malkin is on pills. B. malkin is boozing. C. the chick who fathered malkin’s son is threatening to take half of his estate. D. malkin is on pills
I’m going to say A and D…..geno is popping pills. he has to be high. i’m not kidding. i need your guys input on this. is there any other possible explanation for the turnovers, lack of goal, and lack of commitment?
Blaming one guy for the failures of a unit is inacurrate sir.
Not when one guy turns the puck over 5x more than anyone else. Malkin sucks right now. Don’t defend him.
for all of the malkin apologists, i have one thing to say. he has to be on drugs or boozing heavily. there is no other explanation for that guy to go from one of the NHL all time greats to being an absolute liability on the ice. he is embarrassing himself and it is getting to the point where sullivan is starting to look bad by sticking malkin out there on the top PP unit where he is a turnover machine. malkin didn’t take the body on the GWG in ot and he has been stick waiving all playoffs instead… Read more »
Everyone values your opinion. Especially after pens spent the first ten minutes on the pk like you said. You clearly know what you’re talking about.
Word is he is playing with a torn labruin and fractured wrist
The loss is on Letang and Murray. Depaoli, you get dumber and dumber with each article you write. I love your blame everybody but Murray agenda. Even an asshat like Yoda blames Murray for last night. Depaoli = Sam.
there is no murray agenda. murray is just the better option in goal. they are comparing murray to dryden and hextall and all of these greats. i honestly don’t think murray has even been great. he’s been good and he hasn’t been effing up. for as dominating as the pens have been, if you don’t have a goalie who effs up, they will win. that’s why st.bleury always outraged me. he would eff up every playoffs. st.bleury has had at least 25 playoff games that were identical to what we got from murray last night. the only thing is, from… Read more »
Fleury won more cups than Hextall… Ftr!
I actually gave you a thumbs up. Lol
if you would have asked anyone of us if we would have taken a 2-1 series lead after game 3 we would all be happy. the pens controlled much of the play and it is highly unlikely that they will lose 3 of 4. pens in 5.
1st off, murray let 2 bad goals in last night. secondly, since we live in pittsburgh, when you analyze the game yinzer style, and since st.bleury hasn’t been blamed by the media or you guys ever, we need to hold murray to the same standard. therefore, the pens ran into a hot goalie. that is the only explanation. yep….that’s it. jones is a hot goalie. the pens defense sucked and they need to score!
What’s funny is Hockey Night in Canada named Malkin the third star of the game last night… .
The biggest play of the game and maybe series was the non dump in and Murrays wiff on Wards shot. The irony too is we can laud the Pens speed against bigger opps but when the sharks player does it the blame goes in the other direction. The guy was clearly faster than anyone on the ice on several shifts and the game winning goal.
Lol DePaoli
http://www.reactiongifs.com/r/idjut.gif
One of the more telling stat lines from last night is that SJ actually took more shots than the Pens(79-76) but were dominated in the SOG totals(42-26), it was even worse 5on5 were the Pens held a 41-19 SOG advantage despite only attempting 7 more shots(73-66). It really illustrates to dominating style of hockey the team is playing defensively when 37 of the 66 shots your opponent attempts never reach the goal.
Depaoli has really outdone himself with this one. First, literally blaming every player on the ice (Crosby, Letang and Malkin) for the events that led up to the OT winner when in reality it was all on Murray because regardless of the events that led upto the goal, that is a shot that should be saved 99/100 times. My favorite though was the putting down of Malkin for having 0 blocked shots but including Sid in the group of centers that had 8 combined blocked shots even though Sid had exactly 1 more blocked shot than Malkin’s 0. Let’s take… Read more »
Smells like an off-season writing agenda brewing Jay
It’s been brewing for awhile and quite frankly it’s going to make this site even more unbearable than it already is. It’s going to be 1 article (the only article obviously) about why trading Malkin is a smart move, it will not be supported by anything that even closely resembles facts and will be followed by endless post from Sam talking praising the complete and utter BS Depaoli is spewing. It will be more painful than having a root canal, while being smashed in the nuts with a sledgehammer.
I agree-there will be many unbearable items on the list Malkin being traded, MAF being traded…ect
Sure is an agenda here. D know his hockey I am fairly certain but taking the lead on throwing Malkin under the bus seems the motivation here. Just so you know, D, we need every player on this team to win this cup. Singling someone out and running their name through the mud doesn’t help that. Nicely done Jay of correcting the record. Apparently Malkin’s assists don’t mean anything to D. There are a couple of Malkin assists over the playoffs that were a marvel of a good play compared to the goal itself. Let’s not act like assist don’t… Read more »
Love the photo here of Geno “losing” Donski. What you don’t see was the puck movement from about 2 seconds earlier that helped creat the gap… Or that Donski goes wide and Malkin stays out in front helping to eliminate a jam play… And in fact that the other D, Schultz I believe, is also in position to take away the hard net play… This ones all on Murray.
Like I said yesterday it’s very reminiscent of the Williams goal vs Washington. He makes himself small in the net and gives shooters a huge target over his shoulder.
If you watch the gif, Donskoi(not Donski) already has body position and an established gap on Malkin before he even receives the puck. It was nearly impossible for Malkin to get the proper angle to muscle Donskoi into the boards. In reality Malkin played Donskoi the only way he could, force him wide and into a low danger position where even if he gets a shot off it should be a routine save for the goalie.
That’s what I said 😉
I know. I was expanding on your observation with expanded detail because I didn’t feel that you pointed out the fact that not only was it the ONLY play Malkin could make in that scenario but it was also the CORRECT play in that scenario.
not sure which game you were watching WD??? Malkin had one of his best games. Admittedly he has not been good in the playoffs, but making him the scapegoat for this game is absurd.
Clickbait
I didn’t see the game tonight. Can’twaut to each tomorrow and compare “Pundits” analysis with reality.
Wow, I was really crushed last night when I typed that post. That’s bad typing even for me.
Nice article D. Did you get the approval from Stan if you can talk about malkin like this?
He might be as dumb as you are.
What a fraud 9.5m a waste of money on the 3rd line and having sully here with pens for next 3 years malkin won survive here
You’re reaction here is a bit of an indictment of your whole schtick. Dapoli says X and you use it as fodder for your Malkin hate. This is no different than what the guys that hate MAF do you know that? Malkin has been disappointing in the score sheet absolutely but this winner was not on him.
I like when he does this “third line” argument. Because he clearly doesn’t get what sully is trying to do. At all.
Malkin’s line was matched up mostly against the Shark’s D 3rd pairing. Not too much to ask that they get on the score sheet.