~ Photo credit: AP/Fred Vuich

~ By Pearl Allison Lo

~ The Pittsburgh Penguins scored three unanswered goals to flip the game versus San Jose in the teams’ first meeting since Game 6 of the 2016 Playoffs Thursday.

The Sharks scored two goals in the second and avoided a Penguins’ power play goal. After review, the goal was turned over as it was ruled that Patric Hornqvist gloved the puck into the net. San Jose also outshot Pittsburgh, 17-4.

The Sharks then had a penalty kill starting at 4:10 of the third. However, 37 seconds later after the kill, Evgeni Malkin scored off a shot through traffic that went off Justin Braun. This was the start of the momentum train that propelled the Penguins.

Hornqvist was vital in the next two goals while San Jose hurt their momentum with penalties.

In the Sharks’ zone, Brenden Dillon gathered the puck and turned his back to the ice. A big hit by Hornqvist led to a loose puck. Teammate Scott Wilson scooped it up and scored to tie the game at 9:01 for his first goal.

After San Jose’s Paul Martin got a delay of game penalty, teammate Marc-Edouard Vlasic got a slashing call at 12:54, trying to stop a speedy Bryan Rust.  During the latter power play, goalie Martin Jones made a save off Phil Kessel’s shot. Hornqvist got the rebound and after hitting Martin’s skate, the puck went to the right goal post and just behind the goal line.

The Sharks’ Joe Pavelski said, “They got a bounce or two, but the position we were in, it shouldn’t matter how many bounces they get. We’ve got to seal that game.”

All three of Pittsburgh’s wins have been won 3-2 and this one ended a two-game losing streak, one in overtime. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury made 32 saves in his third win. Going back to the preseason for both goalies, Fleury has now faced at least 31 shots in six straight games. For Jones, his 20 shots against has been the fewest shots he has faced.

Three of the five goal scorers in the game, San Jose’s Tomas Hertl and Patrick Marleau and Hornqvist had a game-high five shots apiece.

Hertl scored his second in as many games at 5:04 of the second. Fleury had no stick due to a Brent Burns shot. Pavelski then shot at net and Hertl put in the rebound. Pavelski now has six points through a three-game point streak and Burns has eight points through a four-game assist streak

Marleau scored off a puck he stole before a back-and-forth exchange with Couture at 16:15.

Game notes: On the power play, the Sharks went 0-for-3 and the Penguins went 1-for-5. Pittsburgh was without regular goalie Matt Murray and star Sidney Crosby. San Jose will now take on Detroit Saturday at 4pm.