Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

NHL Short Notes

05/31/2016 at 7:27am EDT

MONDAY’S RESULT
Home Team in Caps
PITTSBURGH 3, San Jose 2 – PIT leads 1-0

BONINO’S LATE GOAL LIFTS PENGUINS TO GAME 1 VICTORY
Nick Bonino, a sixth-round selection (173rd overall) by San Jose in the 2007 NHL Draft, scored the tiebreaking goal with 2:33 remaining in regulation to lift the Penguins over the Sharks in Game 1 of the 2016 Stanley Cup Final.


* Bonino recorded his second game-winning goal of the playoffs (19 GP) after posting zero such tallies during the regular season (63 GP). In Game 6 of the Second Round vs. WSH, he became the eighth player in Penguins history to score a series-clinching goal in overtime.

* Five of Bonino’s 12 career playoff goals have stood as winners (including three in overtime). He has eight such goals during the regular season (with only one in overtime).

* Carl Hagelin (0-1—1) provided an assist on Bonino’s goal. The “HBK Line” of Hagelin (5-8—13), Bonino (4-12—16) and Phil Kessel (9-9—18) has combined for 18-29—47 this postseason.

NAIL-BITING TREND IN GAME 1 CONTINUES
The Penguins and Sharks contested the seventh consecutive one-goal game to open the Stanley Cup Final. The others (and their series results):

2016: SJS 2 at PIT 3 – TBD
2015: CHI 2 at TBL 1 – CHI won 4-2
2014: NYR 2 at LAK 3 (OT) – LAK won 4-1
2013: BOS 3 at CHI 4 (3OT) – CHI won 4-2
2012: LAK 2 at NJD 1 (OT) – LAK won 4-2
2011: BOS 0 at VAN 1 – BOS won 4-3
2010: PHI 5 at CHI 6 – CHI won 4-2

* The winning goal has been scored in the final five minutes of regulation or later in each of the past six Game 1s of the Stanley Cup Final.

ROOKIES STEAL THE SPOTLIGHT EARLY IN GAME 1
Rookies Bryan Rust and Conor Sheary scored 62 seconds apart to spot the Penguins a 2-0 lead in the first period.

* Via Elias, it marked just the second time that the opening two goals of the Stanley Cup Final were scored by rookies. In 1924, Montreal’s Howie Morenz notched the first two goals of Game 1 in a 6-1 victory over the Calgary Tigers of the Western Canada Hockey League, two years before the Stanley Cup was competed for solely by NHL teams.

* Elias adds that Rust and Sheary became the first pair of rookie teammates to score in the same game of the Stanley Cup Final since 2009, when Justin Abdelkader andJonathan Ericsson of the Red Wings did so in Game 2 vs. PIT.

* Rust, who scored for the third straight game (4-0—4), set a Penguins rookie record with his sixth goal of the postseason, surpassing the mark set by Michel Briere in 1970 (5).

DID YOU KNOW?
Since the Final went to the best-of-seven format in 1939, the team that has won Game 1 has gone on to capture the Stanley Cup 77.6% of the time (59 of 76 series) – including each of the past four years.

BURNS JOINS ELITE COMPANY
Sharks defenseman Brent Burns collected assists on both of his team’s goals, giving him 6-16—22 this postseason (19 GP). Only four defensemen have recorded more points in a single playoff year dating to 1986:

34 – Brian Leetch (1994 w/ NYR)
31 – Al MacInnis (1989 w/ CGY)
25 – Ray Bourque (1991 w/ BOS)
23 – Larry Murphy (1991 w/ PIT)
22 – Brent Burns (2016 w/ SJS)

LOOSE PUCKS
The Penguins became the first Eastern Conference team to win Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final since 2006 (CAR) . . . Sharks forward Patrick Marleau, who has appeared in 1,411 regular-season games (all w/ SJS), scored while making his Stanley Cup Final debut – in the city where he was drafted No. 2 overall in 1997 . . . Penguins goaltender Matt Murray (24 SV) earned his 12th victory of the postseason, tied for the second-most wins by a rookie netminder in one playoff year . . . Sharks goaltender Martin Jones made 38 saves, including 17 in the third period . . . Penguins forward Chris Kunitz (0-1—1) extended his point streak to six games (3-4—7) . . . The Sharks allowed 40-plus shots on goal in regulation for just the second time in 2015-16 (regular season and playoffs) . . . The Penguins outshot their opponent for the 10th straight game (41-26), including an 80-43 margin over the past two contests.

SNEAK PEEK AT WEDNESDAY’S ACTION
All Times Eastern
San Jose @ Pittsburgh, 8:00 p.m., PIT leads 1-0, NBCSN, CBC, TVAS
NBC Sports Channel Finder
Sportsnet Channel Finder
NHL Network Channel Finder

Thanks to the NHL PR department for the information above.

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Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.

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