Back at home, the Sharks hoped to use their home advantage to take an important 2-1 series lead. Unfortunately, they lost a pivotal Game 3 by a score of 1-0, and were shutout for the second straight game.

Within seconds, San Jose made use of its home advantage. An electric crowd, big hits, and numerous scoring chances all contributed to the early momentum. They dominated the first period despite scoring no goals.

In the second period, the Oilers bounced back with many more opportunities, including  some from superstar Connor McDavid. They evened up the shot chart and held the Sharks without a shot for the final eleven minutes of the second period. Despite all this, we entered into the third period of a scoreless hockey game.

Halfway through the third period, Edmonton finally broke the ice. David Schlemko committed a costly turnover in front of the net to give Zack Kassian the easy goal for the Oilers. Kassian scored for the second straight game and has been the unlikely hero for Edmonton so far.

Kassian’s goal held up as the game winner. The Sharks pushed hard in the final minutes, but were unable to beat Cam Talbot for the second straight game. Edmonton now leads the series 2 games to 1.

Notes

• Edmonton was far more disciplined than the previous two games. They gave San Jose twelve power plays in the first two games, but only two tonight.
• Joe Thornton returned to the lineup for the first time this series. Thornton was out due to a knee injury. He was very active in the first period, but slowed down for the rest of the game.
• The Sharks head into a Game 4 on Tuesday night in “must win” mode. They can send the series back to Edmonton either tied at 2 or with a 3-1 Oilers lead. /

Fear The Fin Three Stars

• 1st: Zach Kassian
• 2nd: Cam Talbot
• 3rd: Martin Jones/