The Pittsburgh Penguins had a chance to win their fourth Stanley Cup in franchise history, and clinch it on home ice for the first time. The seats were packed both inside and outside the arena and the team played as well as a Penguins fan could have hoped for.
But one Sharks player was determined to send this sucker back to San Jose.
Here are three things we learned in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.
MARTIN JONES DOES HIS BEST DOMINIK HASEK JOHNNY BOWER IMPERSONATION
Let’s be honest: the Sharks had no business winning this game. Pittsburgh outshot San Jose by at least seven in each period, but Jones simply stole the show. By the end of the night, Pittsburgh’s shot advantage was 46-22 and they dominated long stretches in the offensive zone. It constantly felt like a tying or go-ahead goal was right around the corner, but every step of the way, there was the undrafted Jones.
The Sharks went long, long stretches without even testing Murray, who let in a couple of soft goals in the first period. In fact, Murray’s rocky opening frame had a lot of people wondering on Twitter if the Penguins would turn to Fleury in the second period. The Sharks just didn’t build on their first period and, well, flatlined.
Jones’ performance was masterful, one of the best you’ll see in a Stanley Cup Final game. In fact, he made the most saves in a regulation Cup Final game since 1967, by a certain famous Toronto Maple Leaf.
Before the game, Don Cherry said that if San Jose beat the Penguins in Pittsburgh in Game 5, this series would go the distance. The Sharks did pull through, even if they were outplayed overall — but did they inspire you to believe a comeback is on the way?
THE SHARKS FINALLY GET A LEAD, AND SET A RECORD TOO
Brent Burns‘ goal a little more than a minute into the game gave the Sharks their first in-game lead of the Stanley Cup Final. Remember, their Game 3 win was in overtime and San Jose never held the advantage in regulation.
San Jose actually took a two-goal lead less than two minutes after Burns’ goal before blowing it completely in 22 seconds. Melker Karlsson got that lead back — and this all happened in Period 1. Although the Penguins were the better team all night, the never tied the game again.
It was an ugly way to do it, but the Sharks actually set an NHL record with this win. We’ve known all along that they’ve been a menace on the road — now they’re historically good. Any time you surpass one of the best Montreal Canadiens teams ever, you know you’ve done something right.
COUTURE, PAVELSKI, BURNS FINALLY GET ON THE BOARD
You may know the top three scorers for the Sharks through the playoffs have been Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski and Burns. They’re all certainly in the Conn Smythe conversation if San Jose comes back to win this (Jones is probably in there now too). But it was going to be awfully hard to win this series with each of them being shut out of the goal column.
None of them had a goal coming into Game 5 and they combined for just four points in the first four games of the Cup final. Pavelski had been kept off the score sheet completely, a shocking development for one of the games quietest, and best, producers. At some point, you’d figure these players were going to break out.
Well, it happened in Game 5. Couture led the Sharks with five shots on goal and scored for the first time this series, adding two assists as well. Burns scored the opening goal of the game to get himself off the schneid, but was really noticeable with his physical and aggressive stick game — he was probably lucky to have gotten only two penalty minutes. Pavelski got on the board, too, albeit with an empty-netter that sealed the win.
“Just not tonight,” Couture told Scott Oake after the game about the Sharks’ mindset. “Try and live another day. Don’t let them celebrate, try to ruin the celebration. Go back home, play in front of our fans that have been unbelievable.”
The Sharks certainly did live to see another day in the Cup Final, but only by the skin of their teeth. If they’re going to win another two and complete the comeback, they still need far better games than this one. And that starts with these three, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau.
San Jose may have extended this series, but they did it in a very ugly way.
