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WCQF Game 3: Sharks late to the
party
Knights score early and often in 6-3 win over
Sharks
The Sharks Western Conference Quarter Finals series
with the Vegas Golden Knights shifted to Southern Nevada on Sunday night, but
things looked a lot like the last game in San Jose. The Knights took advantage
of the Sharks inability to defend their own net in the first minute of a
period, scoring goals to start each period in seconds, en route to a 6-3
pasting of San Jose. Mark Stone recorded a hat trick and Marc-Andre Fleury made
25 saves to lead Vegas.
The game mimicked Game 1 of the Sharks
Semi-Final game in Vegas last season, when the Knight ran roughshod on the
visitors. San Jose's inability to start a period without giving up a goal
continued, but in this case, it was the Sharks death nail.
After
taking Game 2, the Knights doubled-down on the game plan that exposed the
Sharks, and it shredded San Jose.
The Knights took 58 seconds to score
the game's first goal in Game2, but they only needed 16 seconds in Game 3.
Stone took a Nate Schmidt pass just outside the Sharks blueline then blew past
Logan Couture before backhanding a shot that lifted past Martin Jones left
shoulder. Once again, San Jose surrendered a goal within the first 5 minutes of
the game.
Evander Kane put his team into a hole when he drew his
second and third penalties of the game at 12:11 when he cut William Carrier
with a high stick. The Knights took all of 5 seconds to convert on the first
power play, when Max Pacioretty fired a shot over Jones left shoulder to make
it 2-0.
The Sharks battled back when Kevin Labanc jammed a puck past
Fleury after the netminder made the initial save on a shot from outside the
right post. Joe Thornton setup the chance with a backhand pass from behind the
Knights goal. Knights head coach Gerard Gallant challenged the play for
goaltender interference (hey they dish those penalties out like candy right),
but the call on the ice stood.
The keep them off the scoreboard in the
first five minutes of a period eluded the Sharks once again. Vegas converted 21
seconds into the period to make it a 3-1 game. The Sharks shot themselves in
the foot by turning the puck over in their own zone when Timo Meier made a
half-hearted attempt at clearing it. Pacioretty pumped a shot on goal that
Jones stopped, but Paul Stastney scooped up the rebound and fired another high
shot over the goaltender's left shoulder.
Kevin Labanc was called for
interference at 14:25, which setup Stastney's 2nd goal of the night. Stone sent
a diagonal pass from the right point that Stastney tipped past Jones for the
4-1 lead.
Joe Thornton will likely receive a suspension after he
floored Tomas Nosek with a shoulder hit on the Knight winger's head. The on ice
officials missed a similar hit on Justin Braun earlier in the game.
About the only thing interesting the Sharks did all night was mix it up with
the Knights with 2 minutes left in the period. San Jose took exception to a
play on Jones after a whistle.
The Knights scored their obligatory goal with the
first minute of a period 36 seconds into the 3rd period when Stone slipped a
puck into a wide open net after Jones kicked a rebound off the Vegas forward's
chest. Stone gathered the Jonathan Marchessault deflection on the doorstep,
with no Shark defender within 10 feet of him.
Logan Couture pushed
home his 2nd goal of the playoffs at 4:57 when he tried to feather a pass to
the front of the Knights net, but Brayden McNabb deflected the puck past
Fleury.
Timo Meier finally did something worthwhile in the series when
he scored with 14:09 left in the contest. Gus Nyquist tried jamming a puck on
goal from the right side, but Fleury made the stop. Meier swooped in the slot
and sent the rebound to the back of the net.
Things finally boiled
over for San Jose when Ryan Reaves engaged Kane. Both players missed with a
flurry of haymakers that looked interesting, but in the end didn't do any
damage. Both players had been yapping at each other all night, so it was
inevitable that the two would lock up.
Game Notes:
* It
was only the 2nd time in NHL history that a team scored goals in the opening
minute of each period. The Boston Bruins last accomplished the feat in 1981.
* The Sharks two most important players, Joe Pavelski and Erik
Karlsson, where each a -3 in plus/minus.
* The Knights out-hit San
Jose 56-42. The Sharks rarely land more than 20 hits in a regular season game,
which goes to show what playoff hockey is all about.
* Stone, Stastny
and Pacioretty combined for 6 goals and 6 assists. Neither was on the Knights
roster last season.
* Micheal Haley took a shot off the left ankle
trying to block a shot in the 2nd period. The forward had to be helped to the
lock room. He did not return to the game and his availability for Game 4 is
unknown.
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What did you
think of this story? Post your comments on the
Feeder Forums |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| SJ |
1 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
| VGK |
2 |
2 |
2 |
6 |
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| 1st period - 1, VGK,
Stone 4 (Schmidt, Engelland), 0:16. 2, VGK, Pacioretty 2 (Theodore, Stastny),
12:16, (pp). 3, SJ, Labanc 1 (Thornton, Sorensen), 15:26. |
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| 2nd period - 4, VGK,
Stastny 1 (Pacioretty, Stone), 0:21. 5, VGK, Statsny 2 (Stone, Theodore),
16:04, (pp). |
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| 3rd period - 6, VGK,
Stone 5 (Marchessault, Stastny), 0:36. 7, SJ, Couture 2 (E. Karlsson, Jones),
4:57, (pp). 8, SJ, Meier 1 (Nyquist), 5:51. 9, VGK, Stone 6 (Stastny), 13:57.
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| 1st period - Kane, SJ
(delay of game - puck over glass), 9:35; Kane, VGK (high sticking - double
minor), 12:11. |
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| 2nd period - Labanc, SJ
(tripping) 6:34; Tuch, VGK (interference), 10:02; Labanc, SJ (interference),
14:25; Thornton, SJ (illegal check to head), 16:54; Dillon, SJ (roughing),
17:54; Pacioretty, VGK (slashing), 17:54. |
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| 3rd period - Karlsson,
VGK (slashing), 3:49; Burns, SJ (roughing), 4:18; Nosek, VGK (roughing), 4:18;
Carrier, VGK (holding), 9:11; Kane, SJ (fighting major), 17:59; Reaves, VGK
(fighting major), 17:59. |
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Shots |
Saves |
| SJ - Jones |
40 |
35 |
| VGK - Fleury |
28 |
25 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| SJ |
12 |
7 |
9 |
28 |
| VGK |
20 |
10 |
10 |
40 |
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| Referees:
Joannette, McIsaac. Linesmen: Kovachik, Daisy. |
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