(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

~ By Pearl Allison Lo

~ It was a bright moment for San Jose and Justin Braun, but just as quickly, the game went back the Pittsburgh Penguins’ way, as they took Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals Wednesday, 2-1.

Rookie Conor Sheary scored his first career overtime goal 2:35 beyond regulation. The play was set up by a Sidney Crosby faceoff win at the beginning where Crosby passed it behind to Kris Letang. Letang then found Sheary who shot once he was inside the edge of the left faceoff circle. The puck went past goalie Martin Jones, shielded by Patric Hornqvist.

It was Sheary’s second goal in back-to-back games. Chris Johnston reported, “Sidney Crosby says the play that set up Conor Sheary’s OT goal was drawn up on the ice right before. Told Letang not to one-time the puck.”

Not the bounce-back win the Sharks wanted, they are now 5-2 after losing in the playoffs. San Jose is now down 2-0 and Pittsburgh up 2-0 for the first time this postseason.

The Sharks came into the third period down 1-0, outshot 23-11. San Jose’s Tomas Hertl had hit the goalpost three times. The Penguins were 48-1 leading after two periods.

Coach Peter DeBoer switched the Sharks’ second liner Patrick Marleau with third liner Joel Ward.

Both Ward and Logan Couture in individual battles against the boards, Couture passed the puck up high. Then from beyond the right faceoff circle, Braun, playing in another game before heading to his father-in-law’s funeral, finally beat the iron to tie the game for his team at 15:55. The puck went between Carl Hagelin and goalie Matt Murray before hitting the post.

In the first, Pittsburgh had too much possession time in front of Jones, but San Jose was able to emerge unscathed.7:46 to 18:52

On his first shift, the Sharks’ Matt Nieto, in his return to the lineup after injury, used his speed to start in motion what would be San Jose’s first shot on goal. That shot came from Ward after Nieto passed to Chris Tierney.

None of the Sharks’ first two lines had a shot in the first for the second game in a row except Tomas Hertl, who had two.

A Brent Burns’ (who led San Jose with four shots) turnover led to a left post shot by Chris Kunitz.

The Sharks killed off another power play.

San Jose had six shots in the final minute, half of them blocked and ended the period with too many men on the ice, but there was no call.

The Penguins’ Phil Kessel led all with three shots in the first period. Letang led in ice time with 9:57.

Hertl hit the goalpost for the third time at 4:10 of the second.

The HBK line then broke through that same amount of time later, at 8:20.

Roman Polak’s pass went to Kessel instead of Brenden Dillon. Dillon was able to recover the puck, but lost it to a chasing Hagelin, who passed it to Nick Bonino. Polak could not catch up with Bonino and fell, the puck hitting his stick and going right to an awaiting Kessel on the other side.

30 seconds after the goal, Paul Martin was called for another penalty, but the Sharks killed that off too. Pittsburgh is now 1-of-16 on the power play.

San Jose got a power play at 18:49. Burns (his second shot of the period), Thornton and Pavelski each got attempts during it, with Thornton’s shot going wide.

In the third, Tierney hit the crossbar on a breakaway with 15:52 left.

The Sharks held the Penguins to single digit shots (6) in the third wit their highest period total in the game (9).

Game notes: The Penguins are now 4-2 in overtime during the playoffs. San Jose only played one other beyond regulation game, but that went three rounds. The 20 regulation shots were the Sharks’ third lowest playoff total this postseason (Paul Gackle) with their record then now (0-2-1). Both teams will now take a two day break before playing Game 3 Wednesday 5pm on the West Coast.