The Pittsburgh Penguins did not have to change a thing when it came to their preparations for Game 4 of their Stanley Cup Final series against the San Jose Sharks.
While they had a narrow 2-1 lead in games, they had actually been the better team in all three of their matchups with the Western Conference champions. The Sharks had received a goal from Joel Ward fairly late in the third period that tied the score and then Joonas Donskoi potted the winner in overtime to give the Sharks some life.
But at no point in the first three games had the Sharks earned a lead while the two teams were competing. They had trailed or were tied throughout the series until Donskoi's goal gave them their first victory.
There was no reason for Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan to alter any of his team's strategy. The Penguins were the faster, more decisive and more skilled team, and all they had to do was continue what they were doing in Game 4.
That's just what happened. While the Sharks were desperate to get a lead in Game 4 and put some pressure on early, goalie Matt Murray was not about to give up the first goal. Th ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Steve Silverman
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June 7th, 2016 by Steve Silverman Leave a reply »
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