Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final had some serious ramifications. Either the Penguins were going to take full control of the series with a 3-0 lead or the Sharks would find themselves right back in the swing of things. The latter turned out to be the result. We have ourselves a series again.
This was the most even game of the series and naturally it finished up in overtime on a Joonas Doonskoi goal from a sharp angle.
The shot attempts at even-strength finished up 73-67 in favor of the Penguins with Pittsburgh's best two periods coming in the third period and overtime.
The difference in this game was goaltending. Martin Jones was really good. Matt Murray was the opposite.
Kris Letang did a number on Matt Murray on the first goal. His screen prevented Murray from seeing the shot. I can live with that rare occurrence. The Joel Ward goal was horrendous.
You just can't let that shot in. What made it even worse was the fact the Penguins were able to kill off four consecutive minutes of the San Jose power play which should never be taken for granted. The overtime goal was from a sharp angle and I wasn't a fan of how Murray played that one either. This was the first time since Game 4 in Tampa Bay that Matt Murray slipped below the .900 save percentage barrier in a game. Being up 2-0 in a series allows for an off night. This was Murray's off night. He will have to bounce back on Monday.
Martin Jones got beat on two random puck deflections and was very good throughout the night. So far in the Stanley Cup Final Martin Jones has a .938 save percentage. Pittsburgh continues to play against really solid goaltending. This series would definitely be 3-0 Penguins if not for Jones' effort. He is making a solid case for the Conn Smythe should it come down to that.
The news isn't all bad for Pittsburgh. The result wasn't what they wanted but they did outshoot their opponent for the twelfth straight game with the 42-26 advantage they had in Game 3. If anything the way the Penguins scored both of their goals against San Jose in Game 3 should tell you why shot volume is important. You can't get random luck if you aren't the team creating the shot attempts.
Ben Lovejoy is well known for consistently shooting the puck wide. It has been a source of frustration to watch him pass up opportunities to at least attempt getting the puck to the net. Last night he got it towards the net on two occasions that led to goals. The Penguins should encourage him to do that more often. Lovejoy finished with a goal and an assist.
Joe Thornton found the scoresheet in Game 3. He had two assists. Those were his two first points in the series.
Here are how the players fared at even-strength
#Pens v #SjSharks
— Sean Tierney (@SeanTierneyTss) June 5, 2016
Letang, Dumo, Malkin, Schultz (?!) were best. Burns w/ 12 iCF. Spaling, Lovejoy/Maatta were awful. pic.twitter.com/l8I3uQTlw5
The Lovejoy/Maatta pairing continues to struggle against the Sharks. As I mentioned yesterday Lovejoy's propensity to throw it up the wall and Maatta's slower foot speed makes them an ideal target for how the Sharks play. The other factor is if the Penguins are going to shelter Justin Schultz and Ian Cole that means you aren't able to afford another pairing that favor. Ben Lovejoy and Olli Maatta are paying the price so that Cole and Schultz don't have to.
Nick Spaling was playing the role as a double agent last night for the Penguins. He was on the ice for only three Shark shot attempts and 22 Penguin attempts. If the Sharks are going to play Nick Spaling 16:05 while he is bleeding shot attempts like that you need to get tangible rewards on the scoreboard.
Overall I agree with the Penguins coach.
Sullivan: I liked a lot of things we did in game tonight. Didn't get result. Played hard. Had opportunities. Fairly even game -SK
— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) June 5, 2016
If you outshoot a team 42-26 you will win a majority of the time. Keep doing that.
Game 4 will be Monday night.
Thanks for reading!