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San Jose, which also lost Game 1 of the Western Conference
finals before rebounding to win in six games, is 5-1 after a
loss in the playoffs -- the lone defeat coming in triple
overtime at Nashville in the second round. "It reminds me a lot
of St. Louis, Game 1. I know we're going to get better," Sharks
coach Peter DeBoer told reporters. "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." The Penguins could be without
rookie Bryan Rust, who scored both goals in Game 7 of the
Eastern Conference final and netted the opening tally in Game 1
versus the Sharks. Rust is listed as day-to-day after absorbing
a check to the head from Patrick Marleau, who will face no
additional punishment from the league.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBC, CBC, TVAS
ABOUT THE SHARKS: San Jose had trouble coping with Pittsburgh's
speed and was outshot 41-26 -- the first time the Sharks
permitted more than 40 shots in regulation since March 7. The
bigger concern for San Jose, however, was its own failure to
sufficiently pressure Pittsburgh rookie netminder Matt Murray.
“It's about getting traffic, getting shots,” Sharks captain Joe
Pavelski told reporters. “We need a few more attempts early on,
test him, not let him get settled in, the way he was last night.
If you can get shots, get free around the net, we got a few
rebounds." Speedy forward Matt Nieto, out since he was injury in
Game 6 of the second round, could rejoin the lineup for Game 2.
ABOUT THE PENGUINS: Bonino entered the Finals with a team-high
12 assists for Pittsburgh, but he enhanced his big-game
reputation with his fifth career game-winning goal in the
postseason -- the last four of which have come in the last three
minutes of regulation or overtime. "He does all the things
right," teammate Chris Kunitz said of Bonino. "Any time you're
in the slot, get him the puck. It seems like we find a way to
win when he scores." If Rust is unable to play, the most likely
candidate to take the rookie's place would be veteran Eric Fehr,
who played on the line with Evgeni Malkin and Kunitz until Rust
replaced him in the Eastern Conference finals. "(Rust is) one of
the hottest guys we have going on our team right now," said
Fehr, who has two goals in the postseason. "So hopefully he'll
be able to regroup."
OVERTIME
1. Pittsburgh has outshot opponents in 10 straight games -- the
longest stretch for a team since the Penguins' 12-game playoff
run in 2009.
2. San Jose is 0-10 all-time in playoff series when dropping the
first two games.
3. Teams that win the first two games of the Finals have hoisted
the Cup on 44 of 49 occasions.
PREDICTION: Sharks 4, Penguins 2
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