Photo credit: nbcsports.com
By Pearl Allison Lo
Max Pacioretty led the Vegas Golden Knights with a four-point night over the San Jose Sharks in a Game 4 win 5-0 at T-Mobile Arena Tuesday.
Pacioretty had a goal and an assist for the third straight game, two apiece at the end. Vegas had an identical game score March 21.
The last time the Sharks were held scoreless was February 21. It was their biggest margin in a loss since November 24.
Marc-Andre Fleury made a perfect 28 saves in the victory.
Meanwhile, San Jose used two goalies again like in Game 2, but this time, Martin Jones took the loss and Aaron Dell gave up more goals.
The Sharks were still without defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic and also without Micheal Haley and Joe Thornton, who served his one-game suspension for a hit to the head in Game 3.
Vegas scored their third and fifth goals on the power play. San Jose went 0-for-4 and were outhit 54-37.
The game-winner ended up being the fourth straight goal that came within the opening two minutes of a period and involved two familiar players. The Sharks failed to keep the puck within the Knights’ zone and Mark Stone picked up the loose puck at the far blue line. He then dropped the puck back for Pacioretty before moving the defenseman, as Pacioretty shot from the top of the right faceoff circle near the slot at 1:11.
Both teams then got two penalties apiece when they committed four penalties in the span of six minutes. San Jose generated momentum on both of their power plays, with four shots during the first one and six in the second.
However, the Sharks’ enthusiasm was curbed when Shea Theodore managed to nab a 2-0 goal with less than a minute remaining.
San Jose led shots 18-7 by the end of the first period.
The start of the second period marked a change in goalies as Dell came in for Jones.
Vegas’s William Karlsson hit the goal post.
Dell lost his immunity in the game when he made an initial save versus Pacioretty and then inadvertently transferred the puck over to the right for a long rebound back to Pacioretty. Stone made a long pass across the ice past four San Jose players right before.
The Sharks’ Kevin Labanc hit the goal post with one minute to go.
Alex Tuch and Jonathan Marchessault had their first goals of the playoffs at 6:37 and 16:24 of the third, respectively.
San Jose was outshot 13-2 in the final period.
Up Next: The Sharks face the Knights with their backs against the wall. Game 5 is Thursday in San Jose at 7 pm.

