San Jose Sharks coach Pete DeBoer admitted Friday that matching forward lines with the Pittsburgh Penguins is a challenge, largely due to the fact they boast elite scoring weapons on all three lines.
But as the series shifts to San Jose and the Sharks gain last change, it's become quite simple for Marc-Edouard Vlasic.
When Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com told Vlasic he and defense partner Justin Braun lined up against Sidney Crosby's top line just 22 percent of the time in Game 1 and 35 percent in Game 2, he responded:
"That's not enough. Should be 90-95 (percent), so 35 is too low. Too low."
The shutdown defender noted that at 35 percent, Crosby's seen equal opportunity against all three pairs. This is obviously a major concern for San Jose, considering the steep drop-off in talent - namely on the third unit.
Having final change will help the Sharks in this regard, but if the Penguins continue to control puck possession as they have through the first two games, they'll have a hand in dictating matchups regardless of venue.
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