If you missed the first period of the Stanley Cup Final Game 5 on Thursday night, boy, did you miss a lot.
The San Jose Sharks held on to win a thriller, 4-2, after a wild first period that saw the game’s first five goals.
San Jose got right to business in Pittsburgh when Brent Burns scored just 1:04 into the period.
Burns gets the Sharks off to a quick start in Game 5 pic.twitter.com/rimEQGLPmU
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) June 10, 2016
That wasn’t all the Sharks had up their sleeves, though. Just 1:49 later, they struck again, this time with Logan Couture doing the damage.
Couture with the redirect makes it 2-0 Sharks early pic.twitter.com/XmOAmupdxk
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) June 10, 2016
But if you thought the Penguins — who lead the series three games to one — would go down without a fight, you’re sadly mistaken.
Less than two minutes after Couture’s goal, Evgeni Malkin took a feed from Phil Kessel on the power play and buried it for Pittsburgh’s first goal of the evening.
Phil Kessel to Malkin pic.twitter.com/SNFeIFUldM
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) June 10, 2016
They weren’t done yet. Just 22 seconds later, the game was tied on Carl Hagelin’s goal.
Bonino banks it in off Hagelin to tie up pic.twitter.com/1pjecZILPP
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) June 10, 2016
The two goals in 22 seconds tied a Stanley Cup Final record for the fastest two goals scored, and the four goals so early in the game set another mark.
The @SanJoseSharks & @penguins combined for fastest 4 goals to start a game in #StanleyCup Final history (4 in opening 5:06). @EliasSports
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) June 10, 2016
The previous record for fastest 4 goals to start a #StanleyCup Final game was 6:51, set by @penguins (2) & Blackhawks (2) in Game 4 in 1992.
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) June 10, 2016
But the Sharks wouldn’t settle and found the back of the net one more time before the period ended, thanks to Melker Karlsson.
Great feed from Couture to Karlsson and Sharks reclaim the lead pic.twitter.com/xw5qQEg4HV
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) June 10, 2016
The Sharks took that 3-2 lead into the dressing room at the first intermission. What a period of hockey it was.
Thumbnail photo via Don Wright/USA TODAY Sports Images