Sorry, we're just going to have to see this play oppositely (which is all cool). I do think Pionk could have moved quicker to get back between the blue and red lines and be on the right side of 64. But watching the replay, he does start moving back as soon as Vilardi turns over the puck. Pionk is not "pinching" anymore. He did that about 5 seconds earlier and was getting back.
Connor is F3 when Vilardi turns the puck over. If you rewind your image a second or two, Connor is on the defensive side of the eventual goal scorer. IMO, Connor needs to recognize that the 2 Sharks leaving the zone are his and Fleury's. 64 provides a perfect pick on Pionk, but it's Connor's unsupported pinch that causes the issue, not the pinch that Pionk made 5 seconds earlier to go to the net for a rebound, which he made while Connor was in fact in the position to cover.
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I think you could make the case that Pionk could have turned and skated full tilt back at this point, but I think you could also make the case that he sees Connor on the defensive side of the other forwards and he is trying to stop the easy breakout on the wall. Connor now skates by two streaking forwards to take the puck carrier deep. Connor makes that choice instead of the less risky and more defensive play to back up and stay on the streaking winger.
IMO Pionk makes a good read to go to the net to see if there's a rebound (while there is F coverage for him), makes a good turnover and gets the puck back deep for Vilardi. The worse thing I can say about him on this goal is maybe not skating full retreat earlier, but I think for Pionk about a second earlier he knew that Connor was back.
Connor makes a conscious choice to go 100% for broke in a tied hockey game in the 3rd period. Even if Pionk was on the defensive side of 64, it still would have been a 2 on 1 with 20 and 23 on Fleury because Connor came in too deep as the F3.
As an aside, isn't this more interesting than talking about Kovacevic?