SAN JOSE – It was a play that Joe Pavelski finishes off nearly every time.
On a five-on-three power play in a scoreless game early in the second period, Pavelski was given a perfect feed through the seam from Joe Thornton. The Sharks captain settled the puck and was staring at a wide open net, as goalie Carter Hutton didn’t have time to react.
But instead of smacking it through, Pavelski pulled the shot just a little bit, hitting the outside of the net. Eight seconds later he hauled down Colton Parayko for an interference minor, and about a minute after that it was Parayko who gave the Blues a 1-0 lead on a brief power play with Pavelski still in the box.