Stanley Cup Final: Kessel, Malkin put Penguins on precipice of title

Brandon Schlager

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Stanley Cup Final: Kessel, Malkin put Penguins on precipice of title image

If the Stanley Cup wasn't the Penguins' to win before Monday, it is now.

Pittsburgh delivered its biggest blow yet to the San Jose Sharks in the form of a 3-1 win in Game 4, the latest chapter in a series that the Penguins have controlled from the onset. Pittsburgh, now up three games to one in the Final, can clinch the Cup in front of its home fans Thursday (8 p.m. ET, NBC).

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Matt Murray, the Penguins' 22-year-old goalie, was in control again, making 23 saves. Melker Karlsson spoiled his shutout bid late in the third period.

By then, though, Ian Cole and Evgeni Malkin had already given Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead that seemed insurmountable the way the Sharks were playing.

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Cole's goal was the ice-breaker, scored 7:36 into the first period when the Sharks got caught on a sloppy shift change with the puck at center ice. Phil Kessel took a pass from Malkin and found a wide-open Cole across the ice, who fired a one-timer past a lunging Martin Jones for the first playoff goal of his career.

Cole, 27, had gone 148 straight games without a goal, regular and postseason, dating to Nov. 25, 2014.

Then it was Malkin's turn.

Yet to score a point in the series, and now with an assist under his belt, Malkin was left uncovered beside the Sharks' net during a power play in the second period. Kessel slung a hard pass from the left circle and Malkin tipped the puck home with 2:37 gone for what served as the game-winner.

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Pittsburgh's power-play unit had been 0 for 7 in the series before then.

For San Jose, it was a disappointing showing in a game it needed to have.

As a reminder, the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs are the only team to come back from a 3-1 series deficit in the Stanley Cup Final.

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The Sharks turned in a listless first two periods, continually overmatched by the Penguins' speed and shut down by Murray whenever they did muster a scoring chance. After the second period, despite San Jose needing eight minutes to register its first shot in the frame, Pittsburgh held a slim 14-13 edge.

San Jose went on to win the shot battle 24-20, the first time in 13 games Pittsburgh was outshot by its opponent.

Three stars

3. Matt Murray, G, Penguins — Murray posted his 14th win of playoffs, one shy of tying the NHL rookie record. If he gets it, he'll also have a Stanley Cup to show off.

2. Evgeni Malkin, F, Penguins — Malkin snapped out of his scoring slump with a goal and an assist, running his playoff points total to 17. The 2009 Conn Smythe winner is putting the slow start to the postseason behind him when it matters.

1. Phil Kessel, F, Penguins — Kessel, the Penguins' No. 1 playoff hero and Conn Smythe favorite, added to his resume in a big way with his pair of assists. He has 21 points in 22 games.

Highlights

Murray wasn't challenged much until the third period, when he turned aside a pair of prime scoring chances from Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau that kept the Sharks scoreless. Karlsson changed that shortly after, but Murray made sure it wouldn't get any worse.

Brandon Schlager

Brandon Schlager Photo

Brandon Schlager is an assistant managing editor at The Sporting News. A proud Buffalo, N.Y. native and graduate of SUNY Buffalo State, he joined SN as an intern in 2014 and now oversees editorial content strategy.