Malkin-led Penguins move a win from Cup
With dominant Game 4 victory in San Jose, Pittsburgh on verge of completing improbable title run
On the day before Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan made a memorable remark about Evgeni Malkin.
“I know,” Sullivan said, “that there’s another level that he has to help us win.”
It could have been seen as a criticism because of Malkin’s recent results. The Russian superstar had one goal in his previous 15 games and had yet to record a point in the first three games of the Final. But it turned out to be a prediction. Malkin reached another level Monday night.
And it led the Penguins within one win of the Stanley Cup.
Malkin had a goal and an assist as the Penguins defeated the San Jose Sharks 3-1 in Game 4 of the Final. Holding a 3-1 lead in the series, the Penguins can claim the franchise’s fourth championship with a victory Thursday night at Consol Energy Center.
“I just thought he had one of his strongest games of the playoffs at an important time for us,” Sullivan said.
Before the game, Malkin was critical of his own performance in recent outings, saying he needed to hold on to the puck a little more to spark the team’s offense with his creativity. He also said he wanted to show a greater sense of urgency on the power play.
He accomplished both goals before the game was two periods old.
In the first period, Malkin picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone with his back to the goal and waited for something to develop. That something was Phil Kessel flying past. Ian Cole broke a 104-game goal drought when he scored on the rebound of Kessel’s shot.
“I know (Kessel) wants the puck always,” Malkin said. “I have good position. I looked back and I saw Phil skating a little bit behind me. Just control the puck and give it to him.”
In the second period, Malkin scored his team’s first power-play goal of the series on its eighth try with the man-advantage.
Off the opening face-off of the power play, Kessel made a pinpoint pass from the left face-off circle to the right post, where Malkin redirected it past helpless goalie Martin Jones to make it 2-0.
The entire power-play process took nine seconds.
“I’m not changing my game a lot,” Malkin said. “I want to play with the puck a little more. My goal, Phil gave me an empty net. It’s not a great goal. Just go to the net. Stay close to the net. Try to play around the net. When I have the puck, try to shoot. It’s a simple game tonight for me.”
While there was close to unanimous agreement that the Penguins were in need of some more offensive firepower from Malkin coming into Game 4, there was some debate about whether goalie Matt Murray needed to have a bounce-back game.
He made a handful of highlight-reel stops in a 3-2 overtime loss in the previous game, but he also let a couple of pucks get past him that he would be reasonably expected to stop, including Joel Ward’s 40-foot unscreened slap shot that made it 2-2 in the third period.
Murray said he thought he simply had a good game punctuated by a couple of forgettable moments.
Whether he needed a bounce-back or not, he got one Monday night, making 23 saves.
The only blemish on his record came when a partially blocked Brenden Dillon shot caromed to Melker Karlsson for a goal from the left hash marks as the Sharks tried to mount a third-period rally.
The comeback failed in a flurry of blocked shots, Murray saves and an insurance goal from Eric Fehr with 2:02 left.
Now, the 22-year-old goaltender is one win away from backstopping his team to the franchise’s fourth Stanley Cup title.
“Like I said from Day One, I’m just trying to have fun through all this,” Murray said. “It’s been an absolute blast so far.”
(Pittsburgh Tribune-Review/TNS)