Joe’s lead Sharks to 2-0 Series Lead

If Joe Pavelski and his linemates continue to play the way they are, there won’t be much need for the superstars to start leading this team.

Pavelski contributed his third straight multi-goal game to give him an NHL-leading 9 in the playoffs thus far. He’s the first player to do so since Mario Lemieux back in 1992. It’s easier to do that when he puts 11 shots on goal.

He also added an assist on a Ryane Clowe goal that the power forward shot between his legs.

However, even the stars came out to play tonight for the Sharks.

They reunited the Olympic line, who finally put in a meaningful goal. Joe Thornton scored the game-winner on virtually a three-on-one because Nicklas Lidstrom’s stick snapped at the point. Dany Heatley had 3 assists, and Patrick Marleau made a noticeable impact on the game after missing game 1.

The pressure is starting to peel off this trio now.

The Pavelski line with Clowe and Devin Setoguchi is no longer just a fluky couple of performances but a line that is playing on fire. They’re in the zone, both figuratively and literally most of game.

Even Evgeni Nabokov has caught a bit of a breather. With the team putting on so many shots, he has been put in the situation of making timely saves rather than winning games single-handedly. The time will come though, most likely in one or both of the games in Detroit, that Nabokov will face a barrage and have to stand on his head.

Side note: As if no one expected this to happen. After a Joe Pavelski goal, a shark was thrown onto the ice at HP Pavilion. Rumor is that later in the game another was thrown onto the ice with a baby octopus in it’s mouth. Clever.

I’m waiting for for this to get to the point where animal activists start complaining about the extinction of species due to playoff hockey games.