Pens take Game 1

PITTSBURGH, Pa – For the Pittsburgh Penguins, the secondary, role players on the roster are the ones making the difference this post season. 

The Penguins first goal came when Bryan Rust skated down the left wing and passed it across to Justin Schultz who attempted a shot but was deflected by the Sharks Melker Karlsson and slipped past Marc-Edouard Vlasic and back to Rust who slammed the shot home from near the crease and into the net for a 1-0 Penguins lead.

No sooner did the announcement go up for the goal by Rust 1:02 later Conor Sheary took a tremendous backhand pass from Sidney Crosby who was along the boards and Sheary fired a shot past goalie Martin Jones and the Pens were up 2-0 lead.

The Sharks flipped the script in the second period thanks to the power play when Tomas Hertl took a pass down low from Joonas Donskoi and snapped a shot between the pads of Matt Murray to get the Sharks to within one 2-1. Patrick Marleau tied the game with 1:48 left in the period when he was posted at the left goalpost and as the shot came in from the point and took the rebound and did a wraparound move to the other side of the net on the backhand to tie the game.

After both teams traded periods, the Penguins scored when it mattered the most when Nick Bonino was all alone in front of the Sharks net and took a pass from Kris Letang who was along the boards and saw Bonino who took Letang’s pass and settled long enough and fired a high shot home for the 3-2 lead with only 2:33 left in the game. The Penguins had to kill off a penalty with 2:09 left in the game but held on for the win.

After the game Sharks Head Couch Peter DeBoer didn’t see much of a reason to make adjustments heading into Game Two.

“Well, no adjustments other than getting to play our game.  We didn’t play our game in the first period.  We stood around and watched. They’re a fast team.  They dictated play in the first.  I thought when we played our game in the second, they had trouble with us.”

“It’s the first game of the series.  It reminds me a lot of St. Louis Game 1.  I know we’re going to get better.  Our execution’s got to get better.  Part of it was some of the pressure they put on, but part of it was self-inflicted.”

Game Two is Wednesday night in Pittsburgh.