Sheary OT goal helps Pens take 2-0 lead on Sharks
PITTSBURGH -- Rookie left winger Conor Sheary scored 2:35 into overtime, rookie goalie Matt Murray made 21 saves and the Pittsburgh Penguins swept the first two games of the Stanley Cup finals at home, beating the San Jose Sharks 2-1 in Game 2 on Wednesday night.
After the Penguins dominated most of the game only to have defenseman Justin Braun tie it late in the third, the Penguins won it early in overtime after Sidney Crosby won a faceoff in the offensive zone, with the puck deflecting back to Kris Letang at the left point. Letang fed it ahead to Sheary, who beat Sharks goalie Martin Jones with a wrister from near the left faceoff dot.
Sheary played the first half of the season in the minors, but now has four key playoff goals for the Penguins, including a goal in their 3-2 win in Game 1.
Phil Kessel also scored for the Penguins, who are 4-2 in overtime in the playoffs. San Jose is 0-4.
The victory came 24 years to the day the Penguins won their second Stanley Cup in as many years in 1992 by sweeping the Chicago Blackhawks. Now, these Penguins -- not even in playoff contention at Christmas -- are in position for a finals sweep, too, though winning twice in San Jose will be a considerable task.
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 and wristed a shot off the post and by a screened Murray for his first goal of the playoffs.
Braun will take a leave of absence after the game to attend the funeral of his father-in-law, former NHL player Tom Lysiak, a star forward more than 30 years ago for the Flames and Blackhawks.
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 Carl Hagelin quickly regained it and fed a pass to Nick 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.
NOTES: San Jose Sharks D Justin Braun will take a leave of absence after Game 2 to attend the funeral of his father-in-law, former NHL player Tom Lysiak. Game 3 won't be until Saturday. ... 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. ... Penguins coach Mike Sullivan played for San Jose in the first Sharks-Penguins game on Dec. 5, 1991, an 8-0 Pittsburgh victory. ... 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.