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Post by Gooba on May 30, 2016 9:27:51 GMT -5
Stanley Cup Series Odds
Home Team listed first - Best of 7 Games (2-2-1-1-1) (Opening Odds in parentheses)
Stanley Cup Finals
Pittsburgh vs. San Jose Penguins (-145) Sharks (+125)
Exact Game Props - Prior to Series (5/27/16)
Penguins vs. Sharks 7 Games Penguins Win 13/4 6 Games Penguins Win 7/2 6 Games Sharks Win 7/2 5 Games Penguins Win 4/1 7 Games Sharks Win 9/2 5 Games Sharks Win 15/2 4 Games Penguins Win 9/1 4 Games Sharks Win 12/1
Odds Subject to Change
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Post by Gooba on May 30, 2016 9:28:27 GMT -5
STANLEY CUP FINALS SCHEDULE
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. San Jose Sharks Game 1, Monday, May 30, 8 p.m., San Jose at Pittsburgh Game 2, Wednesday, June 1, 8 p.m., San Jose at Pittsburgh Game 3, Saturday, June 4, 8 p.m., Pittsburgh at San Jose Game 4, Monday, June 6, 8 p.m., Pittsburgh at San Jose Game 5*, Thursday, June 9, 8 p.m., San Jose at Pittsburgh Game 6*, Sunday, June 12, 8 p.m., Pittsburgh at San Jose Game 7*, Wednesday, June 15, 8 p.m., San Jose at Pittsburgh
All times ET. *-if necessary. Games 1, 5, 6 and 7 will air on NBC in the United States. Game 2 will be on NBCSN in the United State. U.S. TV coverage for Games 3 and 4 is not yet determined. All games will air on CBC and TVA Sports in Canada
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Post by Gooba on May 30, 2016 9:29:05 GMT -5
Do teams making their Stanley Cup debut win it all? By ANDREW CALEY
Breath easy San Jose Sharks fans. No one can ever say you couldn't make it to the Stanley Cup Finals anymore.
Following Wednesday's 5-2 win over the St. Louis Blues in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals, the Sharks advanced to the Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history, becoming the first team to make their Stanley Cup debut since the 2006-07 Ottawa Senators.
So with that monkey off their back, the Sharks' focus shifts to the final task. The Stanley Cup.
But will the Sharks' inexperience, when it comes to the final round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, bite them (no pun intended) in the butt?
The Sharks are the eighth team since 1995-96 to make their Stanley Cup debut and in the previous seven occasions, a Stanley Cup rookie has hoisted the iconic trophy just twice. And one of those times it was only because two first-timers squared off for the Cup, when the Colorado Avalanche faced off against the Florida Panthers in 1995-96.
The last Stanley Cup rookie to win the Cup was the 2003-04 Tampa Bay Lightning, who defeated the Calgary Flames in seven games.
The most concerning thing for bettors about the Sharks' first time visit to the final round of the NHL playoffs, is just how few total games Stanley Cup rookies have won.
Since 1995-96 teams making their Stanley Cup debut are a combined 13-23 (36.1 percent) in the final round and have won Game 1 of the series just twice. Meaning when it comes to totals, these teams making their first Stanley Cup appearance have been a decent under bet, going 20-13-3 (60.6 percent) in those series.
So it's not out of the question that the Sharks can hoist the Cup at the end of this series, but the numbers aren't necessarily in their favor.
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Post by Gooba on May 30, 2016 9:29:39 GMT -5
Monday's NHL Stanley Cup finals Game 1 betting preview: Sharks at Penguins
San Jose Sharks at Pittsburgh Penguins (A: +135, H: -155, O/U: 5.5)
Series tied 0-0
Although the nickname implies otherwise, superstar Sidney Crosby is no longer a kid as he leads the Pittsburgh Penguins into the Stanley Cup Finals for the third time in his 11-year tenure. While Crosby has a championship on his resume, the San Jose Sharks are in the Cup Finals for the first time beginning with Game 1 of the best-of-7 series Monday in Pittsburgh.
Crosby and fellow center Evgeni Malkin form one of the most lethal 1-2 combinations in the world, but the Penguins have relied on a deep and balanced roster to reach the Finals for the first time since winning the Cup in 2008-09. "We know how tough an opponent this is," Sharks coach Peter DeBoer told reporters. "They've got two of the best players in the world. They're a deep team. It's a great challenge for us." San Jose poses a daunting challenge as well, after scoring at least five goals in six of its 18 postseason games behind an imposing power play and a high-scoring No. 1 line led by captain Joe Pavelski. Both teams rely on speed -- "It's going to be fast hockey," Crosby acknowledged -- and feature head coaches and starting netminders who weren't with their respective clubs last season.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBC, CBC, TVAS
PROBABLE GOALIES:
Sharks - Martin Jones (W/L: 12-6, GAA: 2.12, SAVE %: .918)
Penguins - Matt Murray (W/L: 11-4, GAA: 2.22, SAVE %: .927)
ABOUT THE SHARKS (58-33-9, 51-38 O/U): San Jose brought in DeBoer and made wholesale changes to the roster after failing to make the playoffs for the first time in 11 seasons and the results have been impressive -- all but one of the team's victories in the last two rounds of the postseason have been by a margin of at least three goals. Pavelski has been immense with a playoff-best 13 goals while playing alongside veteran Joe Thornton (15 assists) and Tomas Hertl, as has a power-play unit that has converted on 17-of-63 chances. Defenseman Brent Burns is third in the postseason with 20 points, trailing only Pavelski and Logan Couture, who leads all players with 24 points and 16 assists. Offseason acquisition Martin Jones has registered three shutouts in the last seven games.
ABOUT THE PENGUINS (60-30-10, 45-37 O/U): While Crosby and Malkin each have 15 points, the team's leader is Phil Kessel, who has scored nine goals among his 18 points and is another reason why DeBoer calls the Penguins the "fastest team in the league." Linemate Nick Bonino, who has a team-high 12 assists, missed practice Sunday after he was hurt in Game 7 versus Tampa Bay, but coach Mike Sullivan insisted he "will be fine" for the series opener. Malkin's production has risen since he was paired with rookie speedster Bryan Rust, who scored both goals to eliminate the Lightning. Sullivan, promoted after Mike Johnston was fired in December, started Marc-Andre Fleury in Game 5 versus Tampa Bay before turning back to rookie netminder Matt Murray, who is 11-4-0 in the playoffs.
TRENDS:
* Sharks are 10-1 in their last 11 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600. * Penguins are 5-1 in their last 6 vs. Western Conference. * Over is 5-1-1 in Sharks last 7 vs. Metropolitan. * Over is 6-1 in Penguins last 7 vs. Western Conference. * Under is 5-1-1 in the last 7 meetings in Pittsburgh.
CONSENSUS: At the time of this preview, the Pittsburgh Penguins are grabbing 61 percent of the public picks and Over 5.5 is leading the way in totals wagering at 54 percent.
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Post by Gooba on May 30, 2016 9:30:02 GMT -5
NHL
San Jose-Pittsburgh Sharks are in Stanley Cup finals for first time; Penguins are in for first time since winning Cup in 2009, its third Cup title. San Jose won six of last nine games with Pittsburgh; they split last four visits here. Five of last ten series games went OT, four to shootout- three of last four stayed under. Both teams are well-rested; Sharks had five days off, Penguins four. San Jose won its last two games in St Louis after losing three in row on road before that; over is 6-3-1 in their last ten games. Pitt split last four games; two of those four games went OT. Four of last five Penguin games went over total.
Playoffs tally: 1st round-- Home: 23-24, Over: 16-17-14 2nd round-- Home: 16-9, Over: 11-5-9 Conference finals-- Home 6-7, Over 7-5-1
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Post by Gooba on Jun 1, 2016 6:44:32 GMT -5
NHL
San Jose-Pittsburgh (P 1-0) Penguins scored GW goal with 2:33 left tn Game 1, after blowing 2-0 lead in second period- they had a 41-26 edge in shots. San Jose won six of last ten games with Pittsburgh; they're 2-3 in last five games here. Five of last 11 series games went OT, four to shootout- four of last five stayed under. Sharks lost four of last six road games; over is 6-4-1 in their last 11 games. Pitt is 3-2 in last five games; four of last six Penguin games went over total. San Jose was 1-2 on power play in Game, 1, Penguins 0-3. Sharks are in Stanley Cup finals for first time; Penguins are in for first time since winning Cup in '09, its third Stanley Cup title.
Playoffs tally: 1st round-- Home: 23-24, Over: 16-17-14 2nd round-- Home: 16-9, Over: 11-5-9 Conference finals-- Home 6-7, Over 7-5-1 Hone: 1-0 Over: 0-1
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Post by Gooba on Jun 1, 2016 6:45:00 GMT -5
'Stanley Cup Final Game-2 '
San Jose at Pittsburgh June 1, 8:00 EST
Winning the first game of any playoff series, especially in the Finals, is important, but it doesn’t always mean much in the grand scheme of things. The Pittsburgh Penguins got their Stanley Cup Final off to the best possible start with a 3-2 win over the San Jose Sharks in Game 1.
That’s all well and good, but they also know that if the Sharks can come out and win Game 2, they will steal home ice advantage as they head back to San Jose for the next 2 games of the series. The Sharks will have arrived in Pittsburgh with the hopes of coming away with the split, so they will still have the opportunity to accomplish that mission on Wednesday night.
Given how the opening game of the Final went, this looks as though it’s going to be a close series.
Why bet on the San Jose Sharks
The Sharks may a game down in the final, but you can bet that they won’t be sweating it. They lost the first game versus the Blues in the Western Conference Final, and they have gone 5-1 after taking a defeat during this playoff run. They also showed some real grit and determination in the opening game of this series after coming back to tie things up after going 2-0 down. What they cannot do is get in the habit of going behind in games to this Penguins team, as you cannot always count on the big comeback night in and night out, especially against a team that can score for fun. The good news for the Sharks is that they won the special teams battle in Game 1, and continuing that trend will give them a chance to win.
Why bet on the Pittsburgh Penguins
While the Penguins will be pleased with the Game 1 win, they have to be a little concerned about not being able to put the Sharks away when up by a pair of goals. They certainly created enough chances, firing 41 shots on goal, and they will continue to have success as long as they can maintain that high level of offensive intensity. The power play has helped carry the Penguins to the Stanley Cup Final this season, and the fact that they went 0-3 is not a real cause for concern right now. Pittsburgh also showed some real determination, as it would have been easy to panic after giving up the 2-goal lead, but a late Nick Bonino goal ensured a winning start to the Final.
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
Things could get very interesting if the Sharks can win Game 2 of the series, but I like the Penguins to come out and grab the 2-0 lead. I will also be looking at the OVER for this one when I hit my online betting account.
San Jose Sharks 2 Pittsburgh Penguins 4
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Post by Gooba on Jun 2, 2016 5:54:33 GMT -5
Sheary OT goal helps Pens take 2-0 lead on Sharks By Alan Robinson, The Sports Xchange
PITTSBURGH -- They were down in the minors when the Pittsburgh Penguins' season started -- Conor Sheary, Matt Murray, even coach Mike Sullivan. Now, improbably, they have the San Jose Sharks down two games in the Stanley Cup finals. Sheary, the rookie forward, scored 2:35 into overtime and Murray, the rookie goalie, made 21 saves as the Penguins beat the Sharks 2-1 in Game 2 of the finals on Wednesday night. "It's surreal," said Sheary, who spent half the season at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton but now has goals in each of the finals' first two games. The same can be said of the Penguins, who were out of playoff contention in December but have been the NHL's hottest team ever since. Including overtime, where they are 4-2 in the playoffs. "We just stick to our game play, and keep our confidence up -- we know if we play the way we can play (in overtime), we'll be all right," said Murray, who is 4-1 in overtime. After the Penguins dominated most of the game only to have Sharks defenseman Justin Braun tie it late in the third, they won it quickly in overtime after Sidney Crosby drew up a play before winning a faceoff in the offensive zone. The puck deflected back to Kris Letang at the left point, and he fed it ahead to Sheary, who beat Sharks goalie Martin Jones with a wrister from near the left faceoff dot. Just like the Crosby, the Penguins' captain, planned it before winning his 17th faceoff in 24 attempts. "Sid came up before draw, and told me line up on wall, which is something we don't do normally," Sheary said. "Tanger (Letang) found me in a soft area and it worked out. They lost me when I came off the wall and I had a lot of time to shoot." Sheary now has four key playoff goals for the Penguins, including a goal in their 3-2 win in Game 1 Monday. "We're seeing him produce, the way he's playing right now," said Sullivan, who sat down Sheary briefly in the conference finals because he thought he was wearing down. Phil Kessel also scored his 10th of the playoffs for the Penguins, who are 4-2 in overtime in the playoffs. San Jose is 0-4. "We played such a good game, we didn't want to get to overtime," said Carl Hagelin, who plays with Kessel and Nick Bonino on a Penguins line that has produced 50 points in the playoffs. "Now, looking back, it's a great feeling to win in overtime. It gives your team momentum and, hopefully, slows them down." The victory came 24 years to the day after the Penguins won their second Stanley Cup in as many years in 1992 by sweeping the Chicago Blackhawks. Now, these Penguins are in position for a finals sweep, too, though winning twice in San Jose will be a considerable task. "Let's hold off on the funeral -- there's a lot of hockey to be played," Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said. "We've got to go back home and get back in the series." The Sharks seemingly played a step behind the Penguins all night, trailing 2-to-1 in shots much of the game, only to have Braun tie it at 1 with 4:05 remaining. After the Penguins couldn't change a tiring line because they iced the puck in their own zone, Braun -- after pinching on the play -- got free at the top of the right circle. His shot deflected off a post and by a screened Murray for his first goal of the playoffs. Braun now will take a leave of absence to attend the Thursday funeral in Atlanta of his father-in-law, former NHL player Tom Lysiak. He'll fly back to San Jose that night to prepare for Game 3 on Saturday. The Penguins controlled play in the first period, just as they did in a 3-2 win in Game 1, but couldn't put the puck past Jones until their best line throughout the playoffs came through again in the second. With nearly all of the second played in the Sharks' end, San Jose defenseman Roman Polak turned the puck over near his own net. The Sharks got it back for a moment, but Hagelin quickly regained it and passed to Bonino, who quickly directed it to an undefended Kessel at the right post for his 10th of the playoffs, at 8:20, on an easy tap-in. "But there's no panic button here, we've got two at home and it's our job to go back home and get our four points," Sharks left winger Matt Nieto said. "We're going to battle and come back here (to Pittsburgh for Game 5)." NOTES: G Matt Murray's 13 wins as a rookie are the fourth most in Stanley Cup playoffs history. ... Of the 49 teams to take a 2-0 Stanley Cup finals lead, 44 went on to win the Cup. ... Penguins RW Bryan Rust, who scored the first goal of Pittsburgh's 3-2 win in Game 1, played in Game 2 despite an upper-body injury that occurred Monday on a blind side hit by Sharks F Patrick Marleau. ... The Sharks made a move to inject more speed into their lineup, playing LW Matt Nieto on their third line. He replaced F Danius Zubrus. Nieto had been out for eight games with an upper-body injury, or since Game 6 of the second round. ... Jim Rutherford of the Penguins is trying to become the first GM to win the Stanley Cup with two teams during the expansion era. He was Carolina's GM in 2006.
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Post by Gooba on Jun 2, 2016 5:55:20 GMT -5
NHL
No hockey tonight.
Playoffs tally: 1st round-- Home: 23-24, Over: 16-17-14 2nd round-- Home: 16-9, Over: 11-5-9 Conference finals-- Home 6-7, Over 7-5-1 Hone: 2-0 Over: 0-2
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Post by Gooba on Jun 4, 2016 6:30:26 GMT -5
NHL
San Jose-Pittsburgh (P 2-0) Penguins' Sheary scored GW goal 2:35 into OT, after San Jose tied game with 4:05 left to play- Pitt has a 71-48 edge in shots in first two games. San Jose lost four of last five games with Pittsburgh, but won seven of nine home games in playoffs. Six of last 12 Shark-Penguin games went OT, four to shootout- five of last six stayed under. Six teams have gone up 2-0 in playoff series this spring; all six won that series- last year those teams were 5-0. Pittsburgh is 5-3 on road in playoffs. San Jose was 1-3 on power play in Games 1-2; Penguins 0-5. Sharks are in Stanley Cup finals for first time; Penguins are in for first time since winning Cup in '09, its third Stanley Cup title.
Playoffs tally: 1st round-- Home: 23-24, Over: 16-17-14 2nd round-- Home: 16-9, Over: 11-5-9 Conference finals-- Home 6-7, Over 7-5-1 Home: 2-0 Over: 0-2
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Post by Gooba on Jun 4, 2016 6:30:59 GMT -5
Preview: Penguins (48-26) at Sharks (46-30)
Date: June 04, 2016 8:00 PM EDT
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) The San Jose Sharks can take at least one positive out of losing the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final in Pittsburgh.
Despite being severely outplayed for almost the entire two games, the Sharks still managed to lose by only one goal with the game-winner coming in the final three minutes of Game 1 and in overtime in Game 2.
If the Sharks can somehow neutralize Pittsburgh's decided edge in speed and get back to playing the style of play that got them this far for the first time ever they might be able to get back into the series when it shifts to San Jose for Game 3 on Saturday night.
'In the playoffs, things are magnified so much,' Sharks defenseman Paul Martin said Friday. 'You lose a game and it's a close game you think about a big opportunity that you let slide away. But when you go over the film and watch the games, it's right there for us. We got better from Game 1. Game 2 was a lot better. We haven't played our best hockey yet.'
The odds facing the Sharks are daunting. Of the 49 teams that have taken a 2-0 lead since the final went to the best-of-seven format in 1939, 44 have won the Cup. Teams winning the first two games at home have won 33 of 36 series.
But the Penguins know better than to start planning any parades. Two of those three teams to rally after losing the first two games on the road have done it in the past seven years, including Pittsburgh itself in 2009 against Detroit. Boston also overcame a 2-0 deficit to Vancouver in 2011.
'We've talked about it,' said Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, who played on that 2009 team. 'You expect a really desperate hockey team. They're only focused on winning one game. All their energy and everything is toward just tomorrow night. We've all been in situations where you put all that energy and all that focus toward one game and you know they will be at their best.'
Outside of a strong second period in the opener and a good push late in regulation in Game 2 when San Jose tied the game and nearly scored the go-ahead goal, the Penguins have been the better team.
They have a 71-48 edge in shots on goal, considerably more dangerous scoring chances and have forced the Sharks defense into the kinds of mistakes they didn't make the first three rounds.
'They've done a good job keeping the puck in their zone, using their forecheck and making it tough on us,' defenseman Justin Braun said. 'We've had a little trouble sustaining pressure. We've been one and out. They've had a couple of chances. That's been a big difference.'
With Pittsburgh also doing a good job staying out of the penalty box, San Jose's potent power play has had only three chances through two games and delivered one of the team's three goals.
The Sharks say those lack of chances have been more about their play then the calls by officials.
'We're not giving ourselves that opportunity,' center Logan Couture said. 'We're not playing with the puck enough. We're not forcing them to play in their zone tired. That's when penalties usually happen, at the end of long shifts. It's up to us as players to force them to play in their zone.'
The Sharks did generate more chances when coach Peter DeBoer shuffled his lines in the third period of Game 2, dropping Patrick Marleau from second-line wing to third-line center and moving Joel Ward up to the second line.
He switched them back for practice but did not say how he would utilize his lines in Game 3. Top-line winger Tomas Hertl also missed practice on Friday for what DeBoer described as 'maintenance' but he didn't commit to Hertl playing Saturday.
One change that will happen is the shift in venues. Pittsburgh last played out of the Eastern Time Zone on Jan. 18 in St. Louis and hasn't been to the West Coast since Dec. 6 in Anaheim before Mike Sullivan took over as coach.
The Sharks will have last change and a loud crowd behind them for the first Stanley Cup Final game ever in San Jose.
'We expect a really hard start and a good team,' Penguins forward Nick Bonino said. 'These last two games have been decided very late, each one. They're a great team. They're going to come out really hard and we'll have to match that.'
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Post by Gooba on Jun 5, 2016 7:31:54 GMT -5
Sharks win in OT, trim deficit to 2-1 By Ross McKeon, The Sports Xchange
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The San Jose Sharks picked a heck of a time to gain their first lead of the series. Rookie left winger Joonas Donskoi's turnaround shot from the left circle found the back of the net 12:18 into overtime to give San Jose a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night at SAP Center. The Sharks, who were tied or trailed throughout the first two games and in regulation on Game 3, will try to even the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final with a win in Game 4 on Monday. "It's a huge win," Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said. "It changes the series and now we've got to take care of business in Game 4." The Penguins again dominated the shot clock for a 12th straight playoff game -- outshooting the hosts 42-26 -- but couldn't get the goal that would have put a stranglehold on the series. "We were good, but we weren't great," said defenseman Ben Lovejoy, who scored a goal and added an assist. "We thrive on our speed to make plays. This team wants to play in our zone. We gave too many turnovers and it came back to hurt us." The Sharks got goals in regulation from defenseman Justin Braun and right winger Joel Ward as the top guns continue to get neutralized by Pittsburgh's team effort. San Jose won in overtime for the first time in this playoff series. The Sharks had lost four times in sudden death, including Game 2 in Pittsburgh. "You lose that you're down 3-0 and that's a deep hole to get out of," Sharks forward Joe Thornton said. "We held serve, it's 2-1, next game at home so it�s a good feeling." "Every shift could be your last," defenseman Brent Burns added. "It's a special feeling. You do it as a kid all the time.� The winner came quick and virtually without warning. Donskoi emerged from behind the net after taking a feed from center Chris Tierney. Donskoi was facing away from the net when he whirled and fired, beating Pittsburgh rookie goalie Matt Murray with his sixth goal of the postseason. "I felt good about my game," Murray said. "Unfortunately, the last one goes in." San Jose tied the score 2-2 just after the second of Nick Bonino's double-minor penalties for high-sticking Thornton expired at 8:48 of the third period. Ward let go with an unscreened slap shot from the high slot that found its way over the left pad and under the glove of Murray. "It's the reason we're here. Different guys score big goals," Thornton said. "It's game-in and game-out, just different guys stepping up to the plate." The Sharks managed four shots on the first two minutes of Bonino's penalty, and no shots on the second two minutes. It could have been deflating if not for Ward's seventh goal of the playoffs coming when it did. "We needed to cash in there," DeBoer said of the power-play opportunity. "It's kind of been the history of the second group to come up big at different points for us. And that's what happened. They hopped over with 10 seconds left and got it done." The Penguins took a 2-1 lead inside the final minute of the second period on their last of six shots in the period. Right winger Patric Hornqvist redirected a shot from the middle of the blue line by defenseman Ben Lovejoy past San Jose goalie Martin Jones with 52.3 seconds left. "They're a fast team, tough to defend," Jones said. The go-ahead goal came after a San Jose turnover as the Sharks tried to clear the puck up the wall. Two defensive-minded blue liners scored their second goals of the playoffs as the Sharks and Penguins went into the first intermission tied 1-1. Pittsburgh scored first for a third straight game. Lovejoy's soft wrist shot from the right boards went through the legs of San Jose captain Joe Pavelski and off the stick of Sharks defenseman Roman Polak past Jones at 5:29 on the visitors' fifth straight shot to open the game. Jones mishandled the puck after stopping an Eric Fehr shot to set up the Pittsburgh scoring chance. The goal came just after San Jose completed a successful kill of Ward�s high-sticking infraction at 2:58. The Sharks struck back at even strength when Braun settled a Thornton pass and, from the blue line, wristed a rolling puck over a diving Hornqvist and through a screen to beat Murray at 9:34. Karlsson and trailing Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang impaired Murray's vision on the goal. Jones stopped Phil Kessel on a breakaway at 10:50 when Burns and defense partner Paul Martin got caught up ice. Pittsburgh produced the first seven shots of the game and finished the period with a 14-6 edge over San Jose. "We've done better," Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said. "We could have won a few more battles. A couple of bad passes that kind of killed momentum." NOTES: LW Tomas Hertl missed Game 3 with an undisclosed lower-body injury. Sharks coach Peter DeBoer declared Friday a maintenance day for the 23-year-old top-liner, who took a couple spins on the ice while wearing a track suit before the team held a full practice. It appeared Hertl's left ankle was wrapped. He played 20:20 in Game 2, including a shift in overtime. Melker Karlsson was promoted to play alongside C Joe Thornton and RW Joe Pavelski. LW Dainius Zubrus drew in to join the fourth line after being a healthy scratch in Game 2. ... The Sharks are 8-2 in the playoffs at home. ... The Penguins won Game 3 in each of the first three rounds, including twice on the road. ... California-based teams were 12-1 at home during the Stanley Cup Finals (San Jose 1-0, Los Angeles 6-0, Anaheim 5-1).
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Post by Gooba on Jun 6, 2016 5:16:07 GMT -5
Monday's NHL Stanley Cup finals Game 4 betting preview: Penguins at Sharks
Pittsburgh Penguins at San Jose Sharks (A: +125, H: -135, O/U: 5.5)
Penguins lead series 2-1
The San Jose Sharks look to ride the momentum of their first Stanley Cup final win in their 25-year history into Monday's Game 4 versus the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins. Home ice has served them well as the Sharks attempt to win their ninth such contest in 10 outings and even the Stanley Cup final at two victories apiece on Monday.
Martin Jones has given the SAP Center faithful a show in the playoffs, yielding just 17 tallies en route to posting an 8-2 mark with two shutouts, a 1.74 goals-against average and .938 save percentage. "Everyone knows what's at stake," Jones told CSNBayArea after his 40-save performance - in addition to rookie Joonas Donskoi's overtime goal - keyed the Sharks to a 3-2 overtime victory on Saturday. "We played well. That was our best game of the series. We can still be better. It was a good step forward for us." Pittsburgh rookie Matt Murray took a step back by permitting a pair of questionable goals, including Joel Ward's tying tally in the third period. The 22-year-old goaltender has rebounded well following a defeat in the playoffs, posting a 4-0 mark while stopping 106-of-114 shots.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBC, CBC, TVAS
PROBABLE GOALIES:
Penguins - Matt Murray (W/L: 13-5, GAA: 2.15, SAVE %: .926)
Sharks - Martin Jones (W/L: 13-8, GAA: 2.13, SAVE %: .919)
ABOUT THE PENGUINS (62-30-11, 45-40 O/U): Defenseman Ben Lovejoy didn't mince words when he talked about his teammates' readiness to put their bodies on the line. "We're ready to block shots at any time," the 32-year-old Lovejoy told reporters after Pittsburgh thwarted 38 shots on goal in Game 3 after averaging 17.5 in the first two contests - and 16.4 over the first three rounds. "I'm ready to take a Brent Burns slapshot to my face." Shot-happy Burns saw 12 of his attempts bounce off a Pittsburgh player on Saturday, with blue-liner Olli Maatta recording a career-high six blocks in the contest.
ABOUT THE SHARKS (59-34-10, 51-41 O/U): Joe Pavelski has been held off the scoresheet in the first three contests of this series after collecting 22 points (team-high 13 goals, nine assists) in the first three rounds. While Pavelski suddenly is struggling, fellow forward Ward scored his first goal of the series and fifth in his last five contests. Veteran Joe Thornton, who saw Melker Karlsson and Logan Couture platoon on his line with Pavelski for the absent Tomas Hertl (undisclosed), notched a pair of assists in Game 3 after recording 18 points (three goals, 15 assists) in 18 games during the first three rounds.
TRENDS:
* Penguins are 21-5 in their last 26 games playing on 1 days rest. * Sharks are 8-1 in their last 9 home games. * Under is 6-0 in Penguins last 6 Stanley Cup Finals games. * Under is 4-0-1 in Sharks last 4 vs. Eastern Conference. * Under is 6-1 in the last 6 meetings. * Penguins are 1-12-1 in the last 14 meetings in San Jose.
CONSENSUS: San Jose is picking up a sizeable percentage of the Consensus action - currently sitting at 64 percent. The total is set at 5.5 and the public is pouncing on the Under at a rate of 62 percent.
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Post by Gooba on Jun 8, 2016 5:48:18 GMT -5
NHL
No hockey tonight
Playoffs tally: 1st round-- Home: 23-24, Over: 16-17-14 2nd round-- Home: 16-9, Over: 11-5-9 Conference finals-- Home 6-7, Over 7-5-1 Home: 3-1 Over: 0-4
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Post by Gooba on Jun 8, 2016 5:48:59 GMT -5
NHL notebook: Stevens named Wild assistant coach By The Sports Xchange
Scott Stevens will be headed back behind the bench as the rugged Hall of Famer was named as an assistant coach for the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday. Stevens, 52, served as a co-coach for the New Jersey Devils during the 2014 season before spending time as an analyst for the NHL Network. The three-time Stanley Cup champion spent 13 of his 22 NHL seasons with the Devils and will head to Minnesota to join Bruce Boudreau, who was named the Wild's coach in April. Minnesota, which has qualified for the playoffs in four straight seasons, was bounced in six games in the first round by the Central Division-rival Dallas Stars in April.
- The Tampa Bay Lighting named Todd Richards as their new assistant coach. Richards, 49, is the Columbus Blue Jackets' all-time winningest coach and also spent two years behind the bench with the Wild. One year removed from a Stanley Cup Finals appearance, Tampa Bay advanced to the Eastern Conference final before getting upended by the Pittsburgh Penguins this season.
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