Sharks’ potent power play grabs Golden Knights’ attention

SAN JOSE, Calif. — You can’t find many matchup advantages that hockey metrics suggest one side is far superior than the other when analyzing this Golden Knights-San Jose playoff series.

Even-steven, is right.

It seems the Knights might own one in goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, or at least until Sharks counterpart Martin Jones’ game looks more like one from three years ago than recently.

The Sharks also seem to possess a big edge, and it begins when an opposing player takes a seat in the penalty box.

The best-of-seven series began at the SAP Center on Wednesday night and for as long as those competing seem to believe it will last — the consensus is at least six games, while many think it goes seven — how well the Knights fare against what is a lethal San Jose power play could determine which side advances to a Western Conference semifinal.

They survived four of five power plays in a 5-2 loss. Joe Pavelski’s face accounted for the lone Sharks power-play goal when the puck deflected off his mouth for a 1-0 lead in the first period. But the Sharks also scored in a 3-on-3 and 4-on-4 situation.

“We have to have good down ice pressure and disrupt their breakout, make it hard for them to enter the zone,” said Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb. “We just need good sticks and to do our best to take away second and third opportunities. We have to be hard on their top players.”

There are a lot of them.

Think back to last year’s playoffs, when the Knights eliminated San Jose in six games. If the Sharks scored, it was often off the power play or by creating chances behind the net. San Jose wanted a physical series then and does again now.

Its special teams are even better, a power play that ranked sixth during the regular season and one that has added blue line monster Erik Karlsson to the mix. Few in the league transport the puck from one end to the next better.

Karlsson. Brent Burns. Joe Pavelski. Tomas Hertl. Logan Couture. Timo Meier. Joe Thornton.

Just some names from two elite power play units.

Meanwhile, the Knights struggled trying to kill even the most average of power plays, ranking 28th over the last 25 games.

So, how to avoid being put in such perilous spots?

Stay out of the darn box.

“You have to make them come 200 feet, because (Karlsson) is such a gifted player,” said Knights winger Mark Stone, who was a teammate of Karlsson in Ottawa. “You want to limit your penalties as much as you can. Obviously, we’re going to take some penalties. That’s just the way the game is, but if you only have to kill one or two a game rather than four or five, it makes the game a lot easier.”

It could also mean the difference between advancing and heading off to an early summer vacation.

It can’t be overstated how important it is for Vegas to keep a majority of time in a 5-on-5 matchup, especially when you consider Jones has just an .896 even strength save percentage this season.

“They have a really good power play,” said Knights coach Gerard Gallant. “They pound pucks and they shoot pucks and they’re very aggressive in front of the net. They move really well and have a lot of skill. When pucks go to the net, we have to win those battles. Have to limit them as much as we can.”

Advancing could depend on it.

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Contact Ed Graney at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can be heard on “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Follow @edgraney on Twitter.