SAN JOSE – It wasn’t a dramatic change, but it had the desired effect.
At the start of the third period of Friday night’s Game 1 at SAP Center between the Sharks and Predators, coach Pete DeBoer flip-flopped Matt Nieto and Chris Tierney, moving Tierney to the third line center between Patrick Marleau and Melker Karlsson. Nieto skated with Tommy Wingels and Nick Spaling.
None of those players scored five-on-five (Wingels had a late empty-netter), but DeBoer felt the Sharks displayed more of the four-line attack he’s always aiming for in what was a dominant five-goal final frame for San Jose in a 5-2 win.