SAN JOSE — Joe Pavelski and Phil Kessel share little in common outside the fact they’re both from Wisconsin and were teammates on the U.S. Olympic men's hockey team.
Their distinct paths have diverged further in the Stanley Cup Final.
Kessel recorded two assists in Monday’s Game 4 victory as the Pittsburgh Penguins seized a 3-1 series lead, further bolstering his candidacy for the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP with a team-high 21 points. (He also has a goal and 18 shots in the Cup Final).
Pavelski has yet to record a point in the series as the San Jose Sharks face elimination beginning in Pittsburgh on Thursday (8 p.m. ET, NBC).
“I’m more frustrated with wins or losses more than anything,” Pavelski said after the Sharks’ 3-1 loss on Monday. “If we were up 3-1, it’d be a different story. Right now we are in the hole we are in where a goal or two probably changes the outcome. I feel I should probably have more (goals in the final). You just have to keep going.”
Pavelski, in his first season as the Sharks’ captain, entered the Stanley Cup Final as the leader playoff goal scoring (13 goals). He also had a slot on Team USA’s World Cup of Hockey entry, a roster announced before the final began that lacked Kessel’s name.
Kessel has been dogged by questions about his work ethic during much of his 10-season career that has seen him play for three different teams. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan hasn’t seen any of that, at least since he took over as the coach midway through the season.
“I give Phil a lot of credit,” Sullivan said. "I think his game has evolved into a complete two-way game. We've asked him to improve in certain areas of his game away from the puck — in the battle areas — and he's embraced our message.
“I think he's really gained a whole lot of admiration from his coaching staff and his teammates with how his game has evolved here in the second half of the season.”
Kessel had not been on team that made it past the second round in his career, which started in Boston. He made the playoffs once in his six seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs before he was dealt to Pittsburgh last offseason.
“You never imagine something like this,” Kessel said. “Being one game away is something pretty special.”
Kessel has made the Pens' third line churn. Meanwhile, the Sharks' top line had to be reshuffled after Game 2 because Tomas Hertl — who had been with Pavelski and Joe Thornton — has been unable to play with a lower-body injury. Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said Tuesday that Hertl remains day-to-day and DoBoer is “hopeful” Hertl could return.
Pavelski, who is a minus-3 in the final, saw more ice time in Game 4 than any other Sharks forward (24:54) and put five of his nine series shots on net. Logan Couture has only two of his 26 playoff points in the final, and Thornton has just two of his 20. Neither have scored.
“You have to find a way,” said Pavelski, who is still the top goal scorer in the playoffs. “We all do. The games are tight. If we can take lead, maybe things open up for us.”
Kessel and Pavelski have been on the ice against each other for 18 minutes, 31 seconds, according to war-on-ice.com. And they won’t share the same bench for Team USA like they did at the last two Winter Olympics.
“We are in the Stanley Cup Final, so I can't be that disappointed,” Kessel said on missing out on the World Cup.
