Sharks head home down 0-2.
UPDATE: Hertl out; Karlsson or Zubrus to be on top line tonight
I had family in town and was unable to watch game 2. Perhaps that was for the best.
Scoreless in the first. Penguins score first in the second. Sharks tie it up in the third. And Penguins get the game winner early in the first OT.
Sigh.
Many pundits are backing away from their predictions and swapping horses (from the Sharks), touting the Sharks inability to handle the Penguins speed, poor faceoff win ratio, the Sharks dependence on the power play (and the Penguins discipline in not giving them many opportunities), and the silence of the top two lines offensively. And that 89.2% of teams up 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Finals win them, plus the Sharks have never won a playoff series after being down 0-2.
And yet, the Sharks have yet to play one game of this series at home. And they’ve never been in the Stanley Cup Finals before. All the games have been one-goal games, with the game winning goal scored in the last few minutes of the third period or OT.
So, just toss those stats out the window (see #9 from former captain Bob Errey).
The Sharks will be energized by their home fans. And perhaps the SAP Center ice won’t be allowing the Penguins to use their speed as effectively.
There are sixty (or more) minutes of hockey to be played on Saturday.
Time to show up in teal, and root the boys on.
My pregame playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTYGRdTUEnKXb4K-Qm552Ywhj2kvviBgF