What Was the 4th Line Doing Out There? (+)

It was tied 3-3 late in the third period — in what was ostensibly a must-win game for the San Jose Sharks — and Bob Boughner sent his fourth line of Lane Pederson, Jonah Gadjovich, and Jeffrey Viel over the boards.

“I flexed out to block the shot,” Gadjovich said. “The puck just went into the crease and there was a scramble. We just got to collapse and take sticks and bodies and not let that happen.”

Before Gadjovich (42) blocked Travis Hamonic’s (27) shot from the right point — a good play, by the way — Gadjovich turned it over in the neutral zone to Elias Pettersson (40) (0:01). Pederson (18) also had the puck to himself for a moment in the corner before losing it (0:18). Viel (63) and Pederson were unable to prevent the Kyle Burroughs (44) fake shot-pass to Conor Garland (8) (0:26).

So what was the fourth line doing out there at such a critical moment in the game?

Well, frankly, they had earned it.