After a scoreless first period in San Jose, the floodgates have opened in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals. And all it took was Vancouver getting a power play for a change.
The Canucks earned their first power play midway through the second, then almost immediately got a 5-on-3 after a San Jose penalty while short-handed. Ryan Kesler took advantage with a one-timer goal that produced Vancouver's first 1-0 lead of the series.
Then Vancouver got two more 5-on-3s, after a too many men on the ice penalty and a delay of game call on Douglas Murray, and punctuated each opportunity with a Sami Salo goal, taking a massive 3-0 lead with three goals in just under two minutes and leaving the Sharks and their home crowd stunned.
The Canucks ended up just one goal shy of the NHL record for power play goals in one period of a playoff game.
San Jose's struggles came after the Sharks enjoyed five straight power plays to begin the game. And though the Sharks were able to get shots on those man advantages (San Jose still holds the advantage in shots, 18-10), they couldn't break through.
Vancouver did, and now appears poised to take a commanding 3-1 lead back north of the border.
For more on the NHL's Western Conference Final, check in with our Sharks vs. Canucks series hub, as well as our blogs: Fear The Fin covering the Sharks and Nucks Misconduct covering the Canucks. You can find more local coverage at SB Nation Bay Area and Battle of California.
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