Lesser-known players who could decide the Stanley Cup

In the hours counting down to any Game 4 in any best-of-seven series, there is already a highlighted list of what story lines to be ready for and what players to watch. It may seem obvious which players to zero in on in the fourth contest between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the San Jose Sharks, but there are a few extra players who should garner attention.

While they may be a bit under-the-radar, they are just as paramount to their team’s success.

There will be a spotlight on Joe Pavelski, but you should also keep an eye on… Melker Karlsson.

There are, understandably, a lot of eyes on the Sharks' captain since he has been abnormally quiet this series. But shift focus across that top offensive line and observe how Karlsson is filling in for an injured Tomas Hertl.

Even though coach Peter DeBoer began to mix up his lines in the latter part of Game 3 and put Logan Couture up top, expect Karlsson to be slotted back in next to Pavelski and Joe Thornton, where he notched two takeaways and three hits on Saturday night in addition to adding a new level of speed and urgency. With Hertl out a second game and the anticipation that Pittsburgh will be hungry to take control of the pace early, Karlsson could play a pivotal role in getting San Jose off to a quick start in Game 4.

There will be a spotlight on Evgeni Malkin, but you should also keep an eye on… Phil Kessel.
Despite getting plenty of good looks, Malkin has yet to get on the score sheet this series and has just one goal in last 15 games. Luckily for Pittsburgh, some of his teammates have stepped in and contributed — most notably Kessel on that explosive HBK line. But despite recording two takeaways and blocking two shots, and perhaps not being quite as "under-the-radar" as the others in this article, No. 81 was relatively unnoticeable in Game 3 after a brilliant chance was stymied by Martin Jones with nine minutes left in the opening frame.

Pittsburgh as a unit is expected to be in full-blown rebound mode in Game 4, and no less should be expected of Kessel. NHL.com tallied that he has only cracked the scoresheet in one game since a tilt where he didn't register a point in Round 2.

There will be a spotlight on Matt Murray, but you should also keep an eye on… the Penguins defense in front of him.
With Pittsburgh dictating the pace for the vast majority of the series thus far, the rookie netminder hasn’t received the workload that opposing goalie Jones has through three games. Now after giving up the overtime game-winner to Joonas Donskoi on Saturday night, Murray’s capacity to rebound becomes a focal point.

How the Kris Letang-led blue line responds to help Murray rebound from the loss could be as crucial as Murray’s reaction itself. This “defense” extends throughout the lineup and how the Penguins continue to block shots against the Sharks. Pittsburgh logged 36 blocked shots in Game 3 to San Jose’s 19 — perhaps a sign that the Penguins won’t continue to heavily outshoot the Sharks as the series continues.

DeBoer spoke to the media about getting more shots through, reported NHL.com:

“We've got to keep shooting. We've got to work for lanes. There's not much you can do. It can't deter us from shooting the puck. I think there's no bad shots for us. Even if it gets blocked, a lot of times we can recover it. We're going to keep our shooting mentality and keep firing."

The player you should  keep an eye on in general… Joonas Donskoi.
The Finnish forward’s contributions in the Final don’t start and end with his game-winning goal in overtime in Game 3. Donskoi currently leads all players in the series with three points (one goal, two assists) and demonstrated through the regular season his ability to step up as a key member of the Sharks' offensive arsenal.