Pace of play in the first game of the Stanley Cup Finals was about as up and down as you'll see this deep into the season. If we get six more games of that breakneck speed, we're going to be in for a heck of a couple weeks on the ice.
Pace is only one of the many factors live bettors will have to consider while betting Game 2 of the series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the San Jose Sharks.
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SERIES RECAP
Good on the Sharks for fighting back in Game 1. After giving up two goals in the opening period of the series, they could've easily fallen flat on their faces and just accepted defeat.
We've been saying all postseason long that these Sharks are different though, and they certainly are doing all of the little things right that they did wrong which cost them so many series in the past. Part of that includes the ability to come back when they're facing adversity.
San Jose opened the second period with a flurry, ultimately drawing a penalty on Ian Cole which was converted into a power play goal – by the second PP unit, no less. Patrick Marleau leveled the proceedings, but it was Nick Bonino who got the last laugh with his goal with just 2:33 left in regulation.
Martin Jones was clearly the more tested of the two goalies with 41 shots he had to try to fend off. Matt Murray went 24-of-26 in the pipes for his 12th win of this postseason.
KEY STAT
Evgeni Malkin has just one goal in his last 13 games. For a man who once scored 50 times in a season in 2011-12 and has netted at least 23 goals in each of his last three seasons without playing 70 games in any of the three, that's truly a remarkable stat.
The biggest problem we see with Malkin is the same issue we feel like we're seeing out of some of the Penguins defensemen. They're just flat out tired.
Kris Letang and company at the back have a great excuse, though. Pittsburgh really hasn't come up with a great answer to replacing the injured Trevor Daley yet.
If you want another sidebar to follow in this one, it's what's going to happen with Marleau after he took a penalty for an illegal hit to the head of Bryan Rust. Rust is considered questionable for Game 2, and he's been such a vital part of these last few weeks that his absence might really end up playing a big role, something which live bettors flat out cannot ignore.
SPECIAL TEAMS TALK
The Penguins were only shorthanded twice in Game 1, and that went a long way towards helping them win game. Cole's penalty was punished immediately by Tomas Hertl, while the hook on Ben Lovejoy which setup a 6-on-4 situation late in the third period was never paid off.
Still, you can see the intention here for the San Jose offense. Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture were quiet in Game 1, but they had a ton of chances on the few power play chances they got.
The Pens are going to have no choice but to continue to stay out of the box in Game 2 if they want to double their lead, and live bettors flat out need to understand that penalties should equate to goals quite often in this last series of the year.
NHL odds at BookMaker.eu
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly interface on your smartphone or tablet provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! Game 2 of the series between the San Jose Sharks and the Pittsburgh Penguins will start at 8:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 1, 2016 at the Consol Energy Center. Catch the game live on NBC Sports Network.
