Let’s take a look at the top picks, plays and predictions for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final.
June 1st, 2016
Sharks vs Penguins
ML: +113 / -125
O/U: 5.5
Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.
With Matt Murray stopping 24 of 26 shots against him in Game 1 en route to a victory, there is no need for him to look over his shoulder. Barring an injury or the worst performance that can be conceived by human imagination, I would say his starting job is locked down. No need to look over his shoulder for Marc-Andre Fleury.
Martin Jones remains in net for San Jose.
Matt Nieto is listed as probable for the Sharks tonight. The 23-year-old winger had eight goals and nine assists in 67 games regular season games, as well as a goal and two assists in 11 postseason games. He has been nursing an upper-body injury.
Who comes out for Nieto remains to be seen. The decision comes down to Tommy Wingels and Nick Spaling. Dainus Zubrus has likely cemented his role in the lineup with consistent defensive play and a trademark persistent forecheck.
There is always the off chance that Nieto remains out and Peter DeBoer does not want to tinker with the lineup. But a look at the numbers proves that to be unwise.
https://twitter.com/jakesundstrom/status/736698454131412997?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Spaling’s vital possession numbers are so bad they hardly register on the chart. While Nieto is no prolific scorer, he certainly provides a much-needed possession boost to the bottom six.
Nieto’s inclusion could also mean bumping Patrick Marleau down to the third line to reunite the forward line of Logan Couture, Joel Ward and Joonas Donskoi, which was very successful earlier in the year. That move would likely slide Chris Tierney down to the fourth line with Nieto joining Marleau and Melker Karlsson on the third. DeBoer has some options to play with.
Bryan Rust was listed as questionable after taking a high hit in Game 1, but he took the ice for morning skate today and it looks as though he will remain in the lineup. Rust had collided with Patrick Marleau’s shoulder/upper arm, a hit for which Marleau received no supplemental discipline.
The point of contact makes it very hard to heap blame on Marleau for a “dirty” hit. It is high unquestionably, but the fact that Rust seems to be colliding with his shoulder blade or side indicates that this was incidental contact.
Rust’s health is more important now than ever before, as the depth forward has been playing with exuberant confidence of late. A pair of goals to single-handedly win the Eastern Conference Final and the opening goal of the Stanley Cup Final will inspire some, I suppose.
Tonight, the Sharks will need variety in their offensive attack. They are relentless and their puck movement, when it works, is terrific at drawing defenders out of position. Pittsburgh began to anticipate their cycle from the corner to the blueline as time went on in Game 1. They would double up on Joe Thornton or Logan Couture down low, forcing a quick and less-accurate pass that could be intercepted by their speedy wingers and taken up ice in transition. They generated several odd-man rushes that way.
That transition offense is going to be paramount for the Penguins. The first two goals of the game were on plays that began in the Pens’ own zone. Twice, the puck was chipped from the far mid-boards into the neutral zone and taken with speed into the San Jose zone, catching the Sharks either on their heels or out of position. The third goal of the game was a great effort by Kris Letang to wait for reinforcements as his team got a change.
Pittsburgh owned two of the three periods. San Jose dominated the second, but even still the Pens got a fair number of chances. The Karlsson-Ward-Tierney line got abused all night, and simply did not generate enough chances. The Pens’ bottom six, meanwhile, sparked enough offense to put pressure on San Jose and even generated a goal.
Not enough chances got to the net for San Jose. Of the 57 shot attempts Pittsburgh had, 41 registered as a shot on goal. Only 26 of 52 attempts reached the goalie for the Sharks.
Changes will have to be made for the Sharks, and the oddsmakers seem to think they will be made as the line is much less slanted than it was for Game 1.
Tonight is vital for the Sharks. When dropping the first two games of a series, they are 0-10 all time. Teams that win the first two games of the Final are 44-5 all time in the series.
Prediction: Expect the Sharks to be much more composed tonight. Take San Jose to even things up. Play the under.
