~ (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

~ By Pearl Allison Lo

~ San Jose Pittsburgh’s Nick Bonino scored the game winner with less than three minutes to go, as the Penguins took Game 1 in the first playoff game between the two, on Memorial Day Monday.

From against the boards, Kris Letang, with a stickless Brent Burns defending him, passed to Bonino, who shot past Paul Martin and goalie Martin Jones.

Via Darin Stephens, faced 41 shots, his most in regulation in 2016 playoffs and the 41 shots on goal by the Penguins were tied-most in a regulation Stanley Cup Final game since 1988.

Bonino and Patric Hornqvist led with six shots. Bonino also led with six blocks. Dainius Zubrus led with six hits. Burns led in points with two assists.

The Sharks had a rough start to their first Stanley Cup Final period as they were outshot 15-4. San Jose’s four shots came from Nick Spaling, Justin Braun, Brenden Dillon and Zubrus.

Between the minutes of 6:33 and 14:39, the Sharks did not have a shot on net and that was when all the main action occurred. Pittsburgh got four shots during a power play at 8:54 and two of their rookies scored two goals 1:02 apart. Via Elias, this was just the second time two rookies opened a Stanley Cup Final.

Bryan Rust picked up where he left off, scoring the Penguins’ fourth straight goal going back to the Eastern Conference Final in three games now. At 12:46, Rust on the left passed to Justin Schultz at center. Schultz’s shot went off Marc-Edouard Vlasic’s glove, rolled back to Rust and he put it in behind Melker Karlsson, who was situated behind Jones. Chris Kunitz also had an assist. Rust’s now six playoff goals set a franchise record for rookies (Darin Stephens).

Leading up to the second goal, Braun and Sidney Crosby raced for the loose puck, Crosby reaching it first. Braun lost his footing when turning to follow Crosby. Crosby passed through Logan Couture to Conor Sheary in the slot. Sheary then moved to the right faceoff circle and shot when Jones was shielded by Vlasic and Hornqvist.

The shot margin went the other way in the second period.

It started with shots from the bigger name players, Joe Pavelski and Patrick Marleau.

With 12 seconds left on the power play, 3:02 into the second, San Jose then got their first Stanley Cup Final goal. The puck began by almost going out of the zone. It went to the very edge of the blue line before being saved by Joel Ward, who passed to Burns. Burns then passed to Joonas Donskoi, who passed to Tomas Hertl who was to the right up front.  Hertl put it in off goalie Matt Murray’s stick to make it 2-1.

The Sharks had at least a pair of consecutive shots in the second, the first from Burns and Pavelski, the second from Donskoi and Chris Tierney.

Marleau nabbed the tying goal with 1:48 left in the period. In another battle to keep the puck by Couture, after winning, he sent it to Burns at the blue line. Burns then sent his hard shot up front. As it went off Murray, Marleau used his speed to achieve a wraparound goal as it went in off Murray’s skate.

In the third, Pittsburgh went back on the offensive, outshooting San Jose 18-9.

24 seconds after the Penguins’ game-winner, the Sharks had another power play opportunity. It turned into a 6-on-4 once Jones left the net, but San Jose was unable to convert.

Game notes: The Sharks held Pittsburgh scoreless on all their three power plays, turning their 1-of-11 power play to now 1-of-14. One of those power play opportunities came through an Illegal check to the head on Rust by Marleau. Kunitz now has a six-game point streak. Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final resumes Wednesday at 5pm.