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Agence France-Presse

Nick Bonino scored the game winner in the waning minutes on Monday as the Pittsburgh Penguins edged the San Jose Sharks 3-2 in Pittsburgh in the first game of the NHL Stanley Cup finals.
The Penguins, seeking their first NHL championship since 2009, will try to stretch their lead in the best-of-seven series when they host game two on Thursday morning (Hong Kong time), before the series shifts to San Jose.
The Penguins let a 2-0 lead in the contest get away from them, as San Jose, playing in the championship series for the first time, scored twice in the second period.
But Bonino scored from the inner edge of the left circle, after a feed from defenceman Kris Letang, to make it 3-2 at 17:27 of the third.
“He put it right on my stick – it was a great play by Tanger – and it wasn’t the hardest shot I’ve had, but I was able to flip it over (Jones),” Bonino said.
High time the NHL got rid of the hard salary cap and follow the NBA
Bryan Rust, who later left the contest with an undisclosed injury, and fellow rookie Conor Sheary, scored little more than a minute apart in the first period for the Penguins, who had 24 saves from rookie goalie Matt Murray.
Tomas Hertl and Patrick Marleau responded with goals for the Sharks in the second, but after Bonino’s goal Murray made the lead stand up even as the Sharks played most of the last two minutes on the power play.
“He made a couple of big saves on (Sharks centre) Joe Thornton coming down the wing at the end,” Penguins left winger Chris Kunitz said of Murray. “He’s always rising to the occasion for the team.”
Jones was under pressure in the Sharks net throughout the first and third periods, finishing with 38 saves.
“They played their game for longer stretches than we did,” said Sharks coach Peter DeBoer, who noted that in the face of the Penguins’ vaunted speed his players at times “stood around and watched”.
“They’re a fast team and they dictated play,” DeBoer said. “They were better than us, and we’ve got to fix that.”
NHL breaks new ground as New York Islanders snap up China-born Song Andong in draft
But Penguins centre Matt Cullen said Pittsburgh can’t afford to be complacent.
“We can’t pat ourselves on the back, because game two comes in a hurry,” Cullen said. “We’ve got to come out with the same urgency.”
Rust got the ball rolling for the Penguins at 12:46 of the first, batting in the rebound of a shot by Justin Schultz that deflected off Sharks defenceman Marc-Edouard Vlasic directly to Rust.
“They came out flying,” Sharks centre Logan Couture said. “The games are too big to have a start like that.”
Rust departed the game after a blindside hit to the head by Marleau, and Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said he is day-to-day with an upper body injury.
“I’m sure the league will look at it,” Sullivan said of the Marleau hit, which promoted a two-minute penalty.
Sheary made it 2-0 only 1:02 later. Penguins star Sidney Crosby gained control of the puck along the half-wall and made a pinpoint pass to Sheary in the right circle for a shot under the crossbar.
The Sharks cut the deficit to 2-1 when Hertl beat Murray from a long the goal line at 3:02 of the second. Marleau tied it late in the second when he beat Murray with a backhander.
Although Crosby didn’t find the net for Pittsburgh, in addition to setting up Sheary’s goal he looked like the fastest player on the ice for much of the contest.
“We want to play fast and fearless,” Sullivan said. “We’re at our best when we’re on our toes and skate.”


Stanley Cup Finals: Pittsburgh Penguins edge San Jose Sharks in NHL finale opening game

Pittsburgh Penguins players celebrate Nick Bonino’s game-clinching goal in game one of the Stanley Cup Finals against the San Jose Sharks. Photo: AFP

May 30, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Matt Murray (30) celebrates with teammates after defeating the San Jose Sharks in game one of the 2016 Stanley Cup Final at Consol Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 30: Nick Bonino #13 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates after scoring a third period goal against Martin Jones #31 of the San Jose Sharks in Game One of the 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Final at Consol Energy Center on May 30, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Bruce Bennett/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

May 30, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; San Jose Sharks goalie Martin Jones (31) , right wing Melker Karlsson (68) and right wing Joel Ward (42) look to clear the puck away from Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) in the third period game one of the 2016 Stanley Cup Final at Consol Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

High time the NHL got rid of the hard salary cap and follow the NBA

The St Louis Blues’ David Backes shakes hands with Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford after Chicago are eliminated in game seven of the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup play-offs. The Blackhawks lost eight of the 20 players from their championship roster the previous season because of the salary cap. Photo: USA Today Sports

Players take part in NFL football minicamp drills Tuesday, April 26, 2016, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 28: Paul Millsap #4 of the Atlanta Hawks and Al Horford #15 of the Atlanta Hawks defend a shot by Jae Crowder #99 of the Boston Celtics during the first quarter of Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2016 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden on April 28, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

NHL breaks new ground as New York Islanders snap up China-born Song Andong in draft

Song Andong shows off his jersey after being selected by the  New York Islanders. Photo: AFP

Song Andong began playing ice hockey in Beijing. Photo: AFP

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Nick Bonino scores the game winner in the waning minutes as the Penguins edged the Sharks 3-2 in the first game of the Stanley Cup finals


Stanley Cup Finals: Pittsburgh Penguins edge San Jose Sharks in NHL finale opening game

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Nick Bonino scores the game winner in the waning minutes as the Penguins edged the Sharks 3-2 in the first game of the Stanley Cup finals

Nick Bonino scores the game winner in the waning minutes as the Penguins edged the Sharks 3-2 in the first game of the Stanley Cup finals