Every moment matters in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, especially when one mistake or terrific decision can lead to a season-altering goal in overtime. With that in mind, we'll dive in deep with a video breakdown for every game-winning overtime goal of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs to highlight the little things that you might've missed while celebrating or crying.
Further Review: Sharks’ risks led to the Kings’ overtime rewards in Game 3
Breaking down every overtime goal in the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
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The Los Angeles Kings escaped with a Game 3 win on Monday night thanks to two unnecessary risks and one aimless, lost bout of wandering by the San Jose Sharks.
The play serves as a good example of how quickly over-aggression can burn you in hockey. The Kings and Sharks were tied at 1-1 four minutes into overtime when a big hit, a turnover at the blueline and a two-on-one chance led to Kings forward Tanner Pearson's game-winning goal.
Let’s break this down into five key moments. But first...
THE DIAGRAM
Huge thanks to Mike Darnay for offering to put these together for this running series. The play itself came and went so quickly it’s easy to miss how it got set up in the first place.
THE HIT
It all starts with Dustin Brown's hit on Joonas Donskoi at the Sharks' blue line. It wasn't just a great highlight, it massively impacted how the play unfolded. The play goes the other way so quickly after the hit that Donskoi is essentially left behind in the dust.
This play is like Batman taking out enemies one at a time in a video game. Donskoi is the first Sharks domino to fall, but he’s not the only one to take himself out of the play.
Which brings us to...
DILLON’S FATAL MOVE ... AND COUTURE’S MISTAKE
Two things happen at the same time here, so stick with me.
San Jose has two defensemen in Brenden Dillon (No. 4) and Roman Polak (No. 46, and not pictured). Polak is out of frame, guarding deeper in the zone. Dillon is already playing aggressively by being in the neutral zone. And then he decides to shove Brown off the puck:
That teal blur on the far right side is Sharks center Logan Couture. He’s tracking Tanner Pearson to the puck, but he’s tailing too close. Remember that with Dillon so high, Polak is the only defenseman behind the play.
What if Dillon goes after the body instead of the puck, leaving Brown to flick it to Pearson? What if Pearson turns on a dime the other way? Couture is probably too close to Pearson to recover in time. And once that happens, Kings center Vincent Lecavalier (No. 44) will follow unimpeded.
That is exactly what happened.
Whoops.
But don’t worry. This crisis can be averted! Nick Spaling is totally in the right place to keep Lecavalier from ... wait.
Where did Lecavalier go?
WHATEVER SPALING WAS DOING
So Dillon and Couture have already made two over-aggressive plays that could cost the Sharks. But those were just the death blows. Nick Spaling's aggressiveness laid the foundations.
Spaling is the No. 16 you see at the bottom of most of these screens. He’s high in the neutral zone because he’s waiting for Dillon to win the puck and send him the breakout pass. That never happens, so here’s a detailed map of his route:
Aimless. He was aggressive, it didn’t work out, the puck went the other way and he realized he was supposed to be the guy covering Lecavalier.
THE SHOT
At this point San Jose’s only hope is Polak and goalie Martin Jones. Polak plays the 2-on-1 as well as he could, preventing any pass from Pearson to Lecavalier. So Pearson winds up and flicks it by Jones, who simply just gets beaten.
SO THE BLAME GOES TO...
Aggression. If you want names, the blame lies with Couture for not reading the situation and over-pursuing Pearson. But three guys had a hand in the play.
It brings up an interesting question: how aggressive do you want your team to be in overtime? You have to take risks and push play to get a result. Resting on your laurels is arguably riskier in a sudden death situation. But when it comes to puck battles near your own zone during an overtime playoff game, perhaps patience and caution are the way to go.
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