Thriller at SAP — Golden Knights edge Sharks in OT
Vegas wins 4-3 to take 2-1 lead in NHL playoffs
SAN JOSE >> The Sharks did everything they could to send Game 3 of their second-round playoff series with the Vegas Golden Knights to overtime.
They just couldn’t find the finishing touch. William Karlsson scored with 11:43 left in the first overtime as the Golden Knights picked up a wild 4-3 win at SAP Center to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
The Sharks killed two minor penalties in the first six minutes of overtime before Karlsson’s even-strength goal. Karlsson took a pass from James Neal in the neutral zone, flew down the right side fired a bullet past goalie Martin Jones’ blocker side for his fourth goal of the playoffs.
Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury finished 39 saves, including a dazzling glove hand stop on Sharks center Logan Couture from close range 3:10 into overtime.
“We created enough chances to win,” Couture said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t.”
Sharks forwards Tomas Hertl and Evander Kane both scored in the third period just to send Game 3 to the extra session just two days after San Jose rallied to win a doubleovertime
thriller in Las Vegas.
Down by two goals in the third period, Kane fired a wrist shot from right next to the faceoff dot high glove side past Fleury to cut the Golden Knights lead to 3-2 with 12:11 left in regulation.
Hertl then tied the score with 1:57 left in the third on a goal-mouth scramble, firing the puck past Fleury from just outside the crease after Justin Braun pushed it toward the net.
“We came back and tied the game, had a tie game in overtime. Next goal wins,” Couture said. “When you get to that point in the game, you forget how you got there. You’re there. You just have to get that next goal.”
It was a remarkable comeback considering how opportunistic the Golden Knights were in the second period to build a 3-1 lead.
The Sharks allowed two power play goals, and an even strength insurance marker to Reilly Smith — all in a span of 4:46 — to take a two-goal lead by the 14:26 mark of the second.
After Meier scored a power play goal at the 6:59 mark of the second period off a pretty assist from Chris Tierney, the Golden Knights got power play goals from Colin Miller and Jonathan Marchessault to take a 2-1 lead at the 13:09 mark. Smith then capped the period for Vegas with his first goal of the postseason, taking a pass from Karlsson and scoring from in close with no Sharks player around to defend.
Game 4 is Wednesday back at SAP Center, with the Sharks needing a win to avoid an elimination game scenario in Game 5 on Friday in Las Vegas.
To do that, they’re going to have to find a way to slow down the line of Karlsson, Marchessault and Smith, who combined for seven points on Monday and now have 19 points between them for the series.
“We’re chasing the game every night,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said of the series. “We’ve got to find a way to get out in front.”
Fleury, who came into Monday sporting a .967 save percentage, made 31 saves in the first two periods, with nine coming on the penalty kill.
Joonas Donskoi sat out the game with a lower body injury, and it remains unclear when he might be able to return. Donskoi played limited minutes in the first two games when he was held without a point. Against Anaheim in the first round, Donskoi, used mainly as a top line winger, has a goal and two assists.
With Donskoi out, DeBoer began Monday’s game with Tierney as the first line center between Joe Pavelski and Kane, who returned after he served a one-game suspension Saturday for cross-checking Vegas’ Pierre-Edouard Bellemare in the face in Game 1.
Tierney, Pavelski and Kane combined for six of the Sharks’ 17 shots on goal in the first period. Tierney and Pavelski also combined to win four of eight faceoffs.
DeBoer said he liked how Tierney played in the latter stages of Game 2, particularly the first overtime, when he was moved to the top line with Pavelski and Meier. Tierney finished the game with five shots on goal, two takeaways and won eight of 15 draws.
With Tierney up on the top line, DeBoer called on Barclay Goodrow to start as the third line center — a particularly tall assignment considering Goodrow’s limited time as center in the NHL.
When Goodrow did play in the middle this season, prior to Eric Fehr’s arrival, it was on the fourth line and usually for no more than 10-12 minutes a game. Monday, he was going to be asked to play a few more shifts, at least.
In his first career NHL playoff game Saturday, Goodrow, playing mainly on the fourth line, finished with two shots on goal, four hits, three blocked shots and won six of 10 faceoffs.
Goodrow was a scratch for all four games in the first round against Anaheim and Game 1 against Vegas.
Goodrow finished the game with five hits and won six of 11 faceoffs.