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SAN JOSE — A lot can change in three hockey seasons.
In 2016, the Pittsburgh Penguins outran and outgunned the Sharks in the Stanley Cup Final, displaying superior speed, depth and offensive firepower in a six-game series win. The Sharks proved that they’ve closed the gap Tuesday, beating the Penguins 5-2 at SAP Center on the back of a Tomas Hertl hat trick to earn their seventh-straight win.
In doing so, the Sharks improved to 16-3-2 since Dec. 2, pulling to within a point of the Calgary Flames for first place in the Pacific Division. With wins over the Penguins, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Vegas Golden Knights this month, the Sharks are transforming into the Stanley Cup contender that many envisioned back in training camp after they acquired Erik Karlsson is a trade with the Ottawa Senators.
Karlsson’s addition is just one of the reasons why the Sharks are now a faster, more offensively-dynamic hockey team. Another is speedy winger Marcus Sorensen, who redirected Karlsson’s shot from the point at 12:00 of the first, tying the game after Kris Letang opened the scoring just 1:43 earlier.
The Sharks also showed off their three-headed attack, triggering memories of the Penguins line depth in 2016 when head coach Mike Sullivan put Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel on three different lines. During that run, the Penguins created serious mismatches at the depth of the lineup by skating Kessl on the third line with Nick Bonino and Carl Hagelin. On Tuesday, the tables turned as the Sharks third line of Tomas Hertl, Joonas Donskoi and Evander Kane tilted the ice throughout the game, scoring a pair of goals.
Hertl scored a highlight reel goal at 14:05 of the opening frame to give the Sharks a 2-1 lead. He carried the puck out from below the goal line, sent Malkin down to the ice like a Jenga tower with a hip check and then fired the puck into the top shelf after he slipped around defenseman Jack Johnson.
The Czech forward scored his second of the game at 2:06 of the third, stuffing in the rebound of a Justin Braun shot. Kane earned his second assist of three on the night, giving the Sharks third line a combined 34 points in nine games. Hertl completed the hat trick with an empty-net goal in the game’s final minute.
Joe Thornton celebrated his 1,000th game with the Sharks the right way, netting his 10th of the year with a shot from above the circles at 3:39 of the middle stanza. Derick Brassard scored the Penguins second goal with the goalie pulled at 18:10 of the third.
Martin Jones stayed hot in goal, makings 20 saves in a winning effort.
The Sharks will return to action in Arizona Wednesday, kicking off a four-game road trip with a game against the Coyotes.