WATCH: Penguins stun Sharks with two quick goals early in Game 1
Rookies Bryan Rust and Conor Sheary got the home building rocking
By
Chris Peters
•
1 min read
In a frenetic pace to start Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the San Jose Sharks, the Pens got the start they needed thanks to a player who picked up right where he left off in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Rookie forward Bryan Rust, who scored the Penguins' only two goals in that seventh game, opened the scoring in the Final. The goal came 12:46 into the first period when Justin Schultz's shot was blocked and the puck came right to Rust, who was in just the right spot to receive it. All he had to do was slam the puck home to make it 1-0.
That goal seemed to put the Sharks on their heels a bit and the Penguins took advantage.
Only 1:02 later, another rookie found the net as Conor Sheary ripped a perfectly placed wrist shot past Sharks goalie Martin Jones after a perfect pass from Sidney Crosby.
Here's a look at both goals:
Two goals just like that. These @Penguins aren't afraid of Sharks. MORE: https://t.co/TvjaRcTb68#StanleyCupFinalhttps://t.co/7mRJ2I4rOw
— NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) May 31, 2016
Rust is on fire at the best possible time for the Penguins. The 24-year-old now has four goals in the past three games, all of which have proved meaningful. He had five goals in the regular season and now has six in the playoffs.
Sheary continues to pay off as an undrafted free agent. Playing alongside Crosby, the speedy winger now has eight points in 18 postseason contests after putting up 10 points in 44 games during the regular season.
After the Penguins jumped out to the early lead, it seemed like the ice kept tilting back toward the Sharks' end. They couldn't have asked for a better first period to the opening game on home ice: they outshot San Jose 15-4.
