Sharks at Golden Knights
While their Western Conference semifinal is tied at two games apiece, the San Jose Sharks have slowly been imposing their will on the Vegas Golden Knights since absorbing a 7-0 drubbing in the series opener. The Sharks posted a decisive 4-0 victory Wednesday and have won two of three as the best-of-seven set shifts to Las Vegas for Game 5 on Friday night.
San Jose coach Peter DeBoer lamented the fact that his team had been continually playing from behind and "chasing the game the whole series," but the Sharks struck twice in the opening period of Game 4 and never looked back. "I know we're getting better every game," DeBoer said. "So I know we're going to get off the plane in Vegas and we're going to play a good game, and it's going to take a real good game to win in there. We're going to have to win a game in there in order to win the series." The Golden Knights lost for only the second time in eight postseason games and were blanked for the first time since Feb. 19, but they head back to Las Vegas with the series narrowed to a best-of-three -- and two of those (if necessary) to be held at raucous T-Mobile Arena. "Nobody thought it was going to be an easy series either," Vegas netminder Marc-Andre Fleury said. "We're in good shape 2-2, going home and obviously it (stinks) to lose this one. ... Put it behind and get ready for the next one."
TV: 10 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, CBC, TVAS
ABOUT THE SHARKS: There had been speculation that veteran center Joe Thornton would play for the first time since Jan. 23 due to the uncertain status of Joonas Donskoi, who returned from a one-game absence and supplied a back-breaking goal in the final seconds of the opening period. Fourth-line forward Marcus Sorensen, who registered only five goals in 32 regular-season games, opened the scoring Wednesday and is tied for second on the team with four tallies in eight playoff contests. "All four lines played really good,” said Tomas Hertl, who netted his team-leading fifth goal of the postseason. “Everyone is scoring, not just one line."
ABOUT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS: Vegas' No. 1 line of William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith was finally shut down in Game 4, combining for 11 shots on net after amassing 19 points through the first three meetings. Even though San Jose has pierced the Golden Knights for 11 goals in the last three games, the team has no concerns over the play of Fleury, who notched three shutouts in the first five games of the playoffs. "Amazing goalie, amazing person," defenseman Brayden McNabb said. "We're very fortunate to have him. Maybe we rely on him too much, but he's our backbone, and we're 100 percent confident in him back there."
OVERTIME
1. San Jose has scored 10 power-play goals in eight postseason games.
2. Golden Knights F James Neal has 17 shots on goal in the past three games but is seeking his first goal since the series opener.
3. Hertl has scored a goal in five of the last seven playoff games.