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Pavelski has yet to register a point this series, after
entering the finals as the league's leading goal-scorer in the
playoffs, with 13.
His drought could hardly have come at a worse time, as the
Sharks have fallen behind 3-1 in the best-of-seven series,
leaving the Penguins only one win away from claiming the
championship.
"We wouldn't be here without what he's done through the first
three rounds," DeBoer said of Pavelski on Wednesday.
"I thought that last game was his best game. He's close to
breaking out here for us."
DeBoer said he thought his team tightened up at the defensive
end in Game Four, which he took as a positive despite the loss.
"I think early in the series, we were just giving them a little
bit too much room," DeBoer said of his team, which gave up 20
shots on goal in Game Four, less than half the total of Game
Three.
"They slung a lot of pucks to the net. Our awareness in that
area was much higher (now). Our guys did a good job (in Game
Four)."
The Sharks are expected to be without Czech forward Tomas Hertl
again on Thursday.
"(Hertl is) day-to-day," with a knee injury, DeBoer said, before
adding: "In Czech, that means out for the season."
The Penguins, meanwhile, went through their normal practice
routine on Wednesday, with coach Mike Sullivan trying to keep
things business-as-usual.
"We worked on things out there today that we think will help us
in the next game," he said.
"That's been our approach all year, is we're trying to get
better every day when we come to the rink."
(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by
Ian Ransom)
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